Wisemans Bridge Rowing Club were delighted to host 20 Italians last weekend to join in with some local races and experience our Pembrokeshire hospitality.

The weekend kicked-off on Friday night with a welcome dinner in Llanion Cove. The bus arrived and off walked 20 young, beautiful Italians, much to the delight of the local rowers! A fine meal was served at The Cove, with homemade ravioli, Italian breads and a lovely main course of Spanish chicken. The Italians quickly showed their competitive nature when they challenged the junior rowers to pool and table football! Sixty Welsh rowers attended from Wisemans, PYC, Llanion and Porthmadog and music was provided by The Shambolics. A great evening was had by all.

On Saturday, the Italians had a short coaching session, as despite the fact that they are very competent rowers, they are new to Celtic Longboats and sea rowing! However, they were then thrown straight in at the deep end and competed in PYC’s wreck race off Gelliswick Bay! A challenging 15.5 kilometres later, they made it off the water first still looking fresh faced and happy, the same could not be said for everyone else...!

Finally, the day of the Wisemans Bridge Rowing Club league race arrived! The sun shone brightly as the helpers began to arrive in Coppet Hall to set-up for the day. However, despite the sun, there was a cool north-easterly breeze, which presented a challenge for the boats whilst racing. Over 20 boats from 14 teams across South Wales took part in the four races. A boat belonging to Wisemans crossed the line first in every race, it’s just a shame it wasn’t rowers from Wisemans in the boat! It is fair to say that the skills and expertise of the European youngsters really shone through, with them winning every race with ease! However, some great results were had by the Wisemans’ teams, including trophies for the first Welsh ladies and junior teams. Throughout the day, the sun stayed out, the barbecue never stopped and cakes were eaten by the tonne.

These events take huge amounts of organisation, so a massive thank you to everyone involved, including the car park attendants, chefs, safety crews, stallholders and last but not least, the competitors who make these days so special. Thanks must also go to Hean Castle Estate for allowing us to use the car park and ensured the slipway to the beach was accessible for the boats.

The rowing club always welcome new members, so if you’re interested in giving rowing a go and being part of such a special community, look up our website on www.wisemansbridgerowingclub.co.uk, our Facebook page or approach us on the beach on a Tuesday or Thursday night.