Cadgwith Pilot Gig Club race with our three gigs. "Buller", "Socoa" and "Rose of Cadgwith"

Gig Racing
Cornish Pilot Gig racing is the fastest growing community sport in the SouthWest with all age groups taking part in regattas throughout the spring and summer around the coast of Devon and Cornwall.

Each gig or boat built of Cornish narrow leaf elm, 32 feet long with a beam of four feet ten inches. They have a crew of six rowers, male, female and mixed, with the addition of a coxswain at the helm of each boat to navigate.

The first of Cadgwith's gigs is the "Buller". "Buller" was built by the Devoran Shipwright, Ralph Bird in 1986. She is a copy of the famous gig "Treffry". She got her name from a local, Richard Redvers Arthur, otherwise known as Buller.

The second of the gigs came along in the form of "Socoa". Built in 1990 by John Moore of Mevagissey. "Socoa" was built as a sailing ship, but is now used for rowing. She was named after a French sailing ship that got stranded off the Cadgwith coast in 1907.

The last of the Cadgwith gigs is dedicated in memory of two local Cadgwith fishermen, Tony Culmer and Peter Williams, whose fishing vessel, the "Karen Marie" sank off the Cadgwith Cove in 1994.

Cadgwith commemorate the lives of Peter and Tony by holding races between the Cadgwith crews, the Peter and Tony races.

The "Rose of Cadgwith" was built in 1994 and is currently the main racing gig of Cadgwith.

A gig, or pilot gig, is a 32 feet long clinker-built rowing boat with six rowers and a cox. Although many new boats have been built in recent years, some have survived since the early 19th century and are still in use.

The original gigs were used to take pilots out to sailing ships as they approached the Isles of Scilly or coast of Cornwall. The first pilot aboard the ship got the job, so the gigs evolved into very fast seagoing rowing boats.

There are many gig clubs around Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Devon and there are even some overseas.  

We've attached the RISK ASSESSMENT FORM
which ALL members are asked to read!
(this opens up a Word document to download).

We've also attached the PARENTAL CONSENT FORM which the for Junoirs are asked to get signed.
(this opens up a Word document to download).