Hundreds gathered at Fenella beach to watch the spectacular results of the recent build-a-boat competition.

Seven teams took on the challenge of constructing a basic boat from scratch using only plywood, timber, sealant and screws, then paddling it to victory around a short course.

The competition is one of the highlights of the Peel Traditional Boat Weekend. Despite the cancellation of the main event in 2020 and 2021, the build-a-boat race continued uninterrupted through the pandemic.

Prizes are awarded for design and for winning the race. Unusually, the podiums for both classes featured the same top three: the ‘Crunniaght’ team of John ‘Dog’ Callister, Juan Callister, Jo Callister and Adam Horne took the top prizes in the race and the design classes with their solidly-built rowing boat. The second prizes went to Leo Cussons’ ‘Two crates of beer’ team while the Joughin Violins and their fiddle-shaped boat took third in both classes.

A few entrants were less than seaworthy but most of the others finished the course, including the ‘Red Herring’ team with their eye-catching paddleboard-inspired design.

Organisers thanked John Qualtrough for supplying the timber, Roy Moore for providing the commentary and Bushy’s Brewery for the prizes.