Deborah Richards: It was great to see the coverage of the Faroe Islands IRC [Indoor Rowing News #118]! A couple of years ago I went on a walking holiday to these islands, just as they were beginning to open up for tourism! At the end of a very difficult period in my life it was an amazing life enhancing experience! I live in Cornwall - well known for its Gig Rowing competitions - where local and national championships are popular and well supported. International competition is held on the Scilly Isles each summer. The trip to the Faroes coincided with preparations for their National Day. On the streets of Torshavn, their tiny but beautiful capital - nearer the size of Newlyn than London - was a beautifully hand built gig, complete with oars and kit. They were very proud to display this boat that would enable them to compete more effectively in the Scillies competition. They were raising money to send their team and were utterly delighted to meet someone who not only knew what a Gig was but who came from Cornwall where they came each year for the championships; it was one of the most memorable exchanges of my travelling life! These small remote and harsh islands - whose only common connection with us is through the shipping forecast - have some wonderful traditions, and some best left - like salt dried puffin as a sandwich filling - but their enthusiasm for rowing, and gig rowing especially was fabulous. I think we should welcome them with equal enthusiasm to the world of indoor rowing, I suspect with the long dark winter days (providing lots of practice time), natural aptitude and sheer determination to exist in some of the North Atlantic's harshest conditions will provide quite a challenge to us all!