Healthy exercise and infectious exuberance were much in evidence when people eagerly took up the challenge to play their part in an unusual circumnavigation challenge set by Cowes and East Cowes members of the RNLI.

People were invited to build up mileage on cycling and rowing machines and in a covered swimming pool at Gurnard Pines Holiday Village, last Saturday. The idea was that their combined efforts should equal the equivalent of a 60 mile circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight.

Such was the support for this unusual challenge, however, that the distance achieved during the six hour event came to a staggering 530 miles – not far short of circling the Island nine times.

The fun-day was just one of the RNLI SOS fund-raising events staged up and down the country. The total amount of money raised at Gurnard from sponsorship pledges, a raffle and a collection was around £2,000. In addition a further £314 was collected by the Cowes lifeboat crew in Cowes in the evening. And still to come could be profits from the sale of food by Gurnard Pines.

“The success of the day exceeded all my expectations,” said Cowes lifeboat station administrator Jenny Clune. “What’s more, everyone at Gurnard Pines seemed to really enjoy themselves. We are so grateful to the management of the holiday village for providing their facilities, and delighted they have agreed to have us back again next year.”

Jenny also appreciated that High Sheriff of the Island, Gay Edwards, found time to drop in during the morning, accompanied by her son and two young grandchildren.

She also had a special word of thanks for Cowes crew member Christian Ktomi for becoming the RNLI’s Stormy Stan mascot for the day.

As well as Cowes lifeboat station, also involved in the Gurnard Pines event were RNLI’s East Cowes branch, and Cowes Lifeboat Guild, which had already raised another £280 from an SOS Day collection the previous day, at Newport’s Morrisons store.

Among the sponsored lifeboat station members was operations manager Mark Southwell, who notched up an impressive two miles in the pool.