English: Across the Strood. This is the Strood the causeway to Mersea Island, as part of "Mersea Week" West Mersea Yacht Club organise the Round the Island Race. Competitors must circumnavigate the island in a pure sail craft, size being limited by the fact it must be able to be manhandled across The Strood. The handicap race is a test of seamanship, knowledge of the tides and currents and pure blind luck! The rules state you must declare to the committee your start time and your intention to navigate clockwise or anticlockwise one week before the start, a good guess as to the weather conditions can make an enormous difference to the success of the enterprise. In this shot army volunteers are helping the oldest crew in the race to cross the road, the crew of two had a combined age well in excess of 150 years.