JERSEY Rowing Club’s prestigious Round Island race took place on Saturday, as several dared to battle the elements and take on the challenge.
Through the tough conditions, three of the original start list managed to finish the staggering 55km endeavour, with Ladies’ Singles rower Laima Pacekajute shining bright on her debut to champion the race.
Then it was the inter-island quad who came in close behind, ‘Bad Boys’, consisting of Caesareans Will Le Quelenec and Stephen Reed, as well as cox Sarah Earles, and Guernsey’s Simon Johns and James Coquelin, crossing the line at 3.05pm after rowing for 4h46m19s.
Finally, to round out this admirable group, the men’s quad of David Carpenter, Alex Sieroczuck, Carl Gavey, Aaron Gavey and cox Aaron Sieroczuk, named ‘All4Megan’ due to their immense fundraising efforts, finished at 3.25pm after rowing for a total time of 5h6m2s.
“It was a bit of a shame that everyone wasn’t able to finish, some didn’t make the start line and others were forced to retire with the challenging conditions, but I’m absolutely delighted for the crews who finished the race,” said race organiser Le Quelenec, who also competed as part of the ‘Bad Boys’ quad.
“I was very happy with the entries we had, especially how many were trying it for the first time. Apart from Reed and myself, everyone was making their debut, so it’s great to see new faces giving it a go.
“This event is such a positive experience. For me, as a coastal rower, I love to be out in the elements, and the views from the water are absolutely stunning, it’s a totally different perspective. There’s also a great sense of camaraderie out there, as everyone helps to encourage and push on.
“This year was a great event, and hopefully we can build off this for next year.”
The ‘All4Megan’ quad represented the charitable side of this challenge, as this was the culmination of their fundraising efforts.
“Raising money for the Jersey Childcare Trust, we were looking for difficult challenges to test our abilities, and this race definitely fit the bill,” said Carpenter.
If you’d like to find out more about their journey, or donate to their cause, then visit: www.justgiving.com/page/all4megancrew.
Following a choppy start coming out of St Helier Harbour, rowers headed east, where wind began to calm down past La Rocque.
Fortunately for the competitors, the north coast was ideally shielded from the tough winds, making for an easier leg. That wasn’t going to last however, as the rowers were hit with the winds and waves turning into Grosnez.
This was said to be the toughest leg, as Le Quelenec noted “everything was against you”. Much to the challengers’ delight, Corbiere wasn’t as rough as it’s reputation would suggest, allowing for a calmer finish.
Laima Pacekajute – race winner
After all the trials and tribulations of this momentous challenge, it was Pacekajute who was first to cross the line, crossing the line at 3.02pm after rowing for six hours, 25 minutes and 26 seconds.
“I was really pleased to finish first and win the Wilkinson Sword trophy, it’s such an honour and one of the club’s best trophies,” said Pacekajute.
“This race really is one of a kind, it’s a proper coastal rowing ultra-challenge going around our beautiful Island.”
This must have been a fairytale start for the rower, as she took home the honours in her first time of trying, after being “inspired”: “For a long time, I never thought I’d do it, as it felt like too big a challenge. But, one year I was helping on a guard boat, and got completely inspired by the rowers taking part.
“This year has been so busy that I felt I didn’t do enough rowing, so training and completing this huge challenge felt like a great way to end the season.”
There’s no sign of complacency, as Pacekajute is already looking ahead to next year, saying: “I’d love to do it again, hopefully in easier conditions, and see how much quicker I can get around.”
