Come and watch 'The Fernley 2017!'
Photograph by Patrick Trollope.

DON'T forget to come and watch on New Year's Day, the Southport 'Fernley' that is back for its 2nd year! This fantastic event will see competitors running around the Marine Lake and then taking "the plunge" as they swim across!

This New Year event is quite an 'oddity' which aims to commemorate the world's largest lifeboat disasters, ever; the tragic loss of 27 lifeboat men, 14 lost from Southport and 13 from St Annes, Lytham, both of who had launched to save the stricken 'Mixico,' on 9 December 1886.

The Mexico, was a Hamburg barque (barc, or bark), a type of sailing vessel with 3 or more masts. They had a fore mast and mainmasts rigged square, with only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore and aft. This tall ship set sail from the Port of Liverpool, on 5 December 2016, bound for Guayaquil, Ecuador. Sadly 4 days later she was caught in a violent gale, and amidst the heavy seas and snow showers, she ran aground on the perilous sandbanks, in the Ribble Estuary, just off Birkdale, Merseyside Coastline. Lifeboats launched from Lytham, St Anne's and Southport to rescue the stranded crew opposite where the Birkdale Palace Hotel was once located. Southport's Eliza Fernley was the 1st lifeboat to be launched in response to the Mexico's distress signals.

'The Fernley' recognises 1 of Southport's greatest benefactors, John Fernley, who built many of the Town's educational establishments, as well as the amazing Observatory, along with supporting the Southport lifeboats, that included the ill fated Southport Lifeboat, Eliza Fernley.

Even if your not taking part, please do come out to cheer on the many individuals, teams and families, as they Run, walk and even swim! This event also has a quick ceremony that sees a local ritual being preformed, called:- "The offering of water." Quickly after the fun starts...

Southport Lifeboat said:- "As well as raising funds for our new boathouse appeal, Southport Lifeboat will be providing the water safety cover at 'The Fernley' event this New Year's Day. Come down to Southport Promenade and Pier at 11.00am and cheer the contestants along the route."

For more information about 'The Fernley' go to:- TheFernley.Co.UK

The event this year supports Community Link Foundation (CLF) and Southport Offshore Rescue Trust (SORT), better known as Southport Lifeboat.

Did you know:- The Mexico was repaired only to be lost in Scottish waters in 1890?