A NEW race season is already underway with Castle Inn Team Rowcroft entering their Seine boats in the River Teign Rowing Club summer Seine boat race series.

Castle Inn Team Rowcroft entered three boats in this series of races with crews called Castle Buoys and Gulls, Double Expresso and (with a nod to a strong Scottish contingent in the crew), Rowcrofters, all excited to be promoting Rowcroft Hospice.

The conditions were not quite perfect with a good breeze, a slightly choppy sea and an incoming tide but an exciting race with eight boats was promised. The course was announced, starting out to sea near Labrador Bay, coming into the river mouth around a marker buoy and finishing off Teignmouth back beach.

Rowing out to the start line, the three Castle Inn boats in purple Team Rowcroft colours certainly stood out, as did the cheering from the beach from purple-clad supporters.

Purely by chance, the three Team Rowcroft boats were drawn side by side on the start line.

Two strong crews started to pull away from the pack with the Team Rowcroft boats, pretty much side by side, making up the next three places.

As they entered the river mouth, Rowcrofters and Castle Buoys and Gulls were almost neck and neck with Double Expresso only just behind them, all sprinting for the finish line.

By the finish Rowcrofters had pulled out a slight lead on the other two Team Rowcroft boats and an exhausted Team Rowcroft finished a credible third, fourth and sixth.

At the end there was still just enough energy to raise a cheer of thanks to River Teign Rowing Club and their volunteers on the safety boat for organising such a great event.

All that was left then was to recover our boats back onto Shaldon beach and come together to swap stories and banter over a beer.