Three years of planning and fundraising came to a celebratory conclusion on Sunday when Coverack Gig Club's third wooden racing boat was officially launched.

A blessing took place on Porthoustock beach by parish priest Rev Peter Sharp, before club trustee John Pound poured champagne over the gig to christen her Morah, after one of the nearby Manacles rocks. Fittingly, one of the translations into Cornish is 'dolphin,' keeping the nautical theme.

Club chair Clare Darnell and treasurer James Basher then gave speeches before Morah was able to make her maiden voyage.

Club secretary Bev Clark described conditions for the blessing as "quite incredible," with blue sky and warm sunshine shining down, adding: "I don't know what we did but somebody obviously shone on us. It was amazing."

She said the sea was "like glass" when Morah was taken out for her first trip across the sea, coxed by Tim Pound and crewed by representatives of the club's various sections: James Richards for men's A, Sophie Pound ladies' A, James Basher men's B, Bethan Jane ladies' B, Ian Matthews C crews and super-vets and Arthur Relton juniors (under 16 champions).

"It's safe to say they were absolutely thrilled by the way she moved and handled," she added.

Bev thanked boat builder Dave Currah from Looe, who build the club's first gig Lark, as well as St Keverne Parish Council and Coverack Carnival and Regatta Committee, which both gave £500.

Other grants came in the form of £5,000 from the Goonhilly Wind Farm Community Fund and £10,000 from Sport England, with the rest of the amount being raised through the hard work of club members organising barbecues, car washes, dung runs and other events, with "massive support" coming from the community.

Following the blessing and naming ceremony, all attending were able to enjoy tea and cake in Porthoustock Village Hall.

The addition of Morah means that the club can continue to give opportunities to all ages, from 11 through to 70, following a large rise in the number of junior members that have then continued into the adult crews.

Anyone wanting to join the club can email coverackgigclub@yahoo.com.

The club is now looking ahead to the World Pilot Gig Championships in the Isles of Scilly at the end of April, where it will enter six crews over the main weekend, as well as a men's super-vets crew.