FOGO ISLAND - CHANGE ISLANDS -
The committee for The Great Fogo Island Punt Race to There and Back have announced the date for the 2010 event.
The 2010 race will take place on Tuesday, July 27. Weather permitting; the event will kick off at 10 a.m. that morning from the Fogo Canal.
Last year a new category was opened to rowers and a new women's event was added to the race.
"We are very much looking forward to the 2010 race and we're very pleased with the addition of a women's event," says event founder Tony Cobb. "The women's teams have shown such great support and interest in the race."
Both the men's and women's races will depart from the canal in the Town of Fogo, row to Change Islands and return to Fogo, a distance of 10 miles.
This is the fourth year for The Great Fogo Island Punt Race which honours the ingenuity of the creative boat builders on Fogo Island and Change Islands. It also showcases the endurance of local rowers.
"The organizing committee for the 2010 race is already at work," says Colleen Higgins, chair of The Great Fogo Island Punt Race Committee. "We are fortunate to have an enthusiastic team of volunteers who are passionate about our traditional punts and who give their time and energy to make the event a great success."
The Great Fogo Island Punt Race is the world's only seagoing rowing race in traditional craft. The race covers 10 miles of open sea in tribute to the maritime history and traditions of the fishing communities on Fogo Island and Change Islands.
The Great Fogo Island Punt Race is sponsored by Shorefast Foundation, a Canadian-registered charity that is using entrepreneurial methods to help secure prosperity for the region of Fogo Island and Change Islands.
In case of bad weather, the race will be re-scheduled for the next fine day.
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