It's regatta weekend in Hamworthy
Rowers from the length and breadth of the South Coast converge on a green which is normally the preserve of dog walkers...
...to vie for glory .
Tactics and equipment choice are hotly debated.....
.....before being put to the test, neck and neck, on the race course.
Like the undulating Purbeck Hills, on the skyline,....
Like the undulating Purbeck Hills, on the skyline,....
... the gritty crews rise and fall, straining against the oar looms. Each explosive stroke visibly jolts their coxswain with the force of an electric shock.
Human piston crews rhythmically bend and straighten in unison to cleave the water with their rapier craft.
The victors and the vanquished return to shore, their energy spent.
Each has their tale to tell, from this aquatic field of tournament.
A hubbub of spectators mills around the beach huts in a swirling sea of carnival colour, analysing the form of their champions under the midday sun.
