Fundraisers enjoy '˜row of a lifetime' in charity's first Portsmouth Pull

Oarsome Chance held its inaugural Portsmouth Pull in the waters of the Solent on Saturday,

June 16.

Using a five mile course, the event took 21 rowers past the city’s most iconic harbour landmarks, including the Spinnaker Tower, HMS Victory and HMS Queen Elizabeth.

John Gillard, principal of the Hampshire-based charity, said: ‘It was an epic battle for each of the teams in challenging conditions, not just against each other, but also against themselves.

‘It was a wet and wild, fast and furious adventure – especially for those who had never rowed before.’

One of the crews taking part, Little Victory, lived up to their name by completing the fastest time of one hour and 27 minutes to claim a handmade wooden trophy.

They were followed by the Little Warrior crew, who finished in one hour and 45 minutes – before OC1 crossed the line in two hours seven minutes.

Steve Walker, one of the winning Little Victory company, said: ‘We were buzzing when we crossed the finish line.

‘We wanted to do it in under 1h 30m, so we went for a sprint finish – it was amazing.’

Now, six of the participants from the Portsmouth Pull will undertake a three-day expedition for the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award in August, to raise more funds for the charity.

Oarsome Chance works with youngsters between the age of nine to 19 who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education, by using a combination of water-based sport and boat

building activities to bring positive change in their lives.

To participate in the next Portsmouth Pull contact [email protected]