Cornish Rowing

There are 2 rowing associations operating within Cornwall, these are the Cornish Pilot Gig Association (CPGA) with a membership of about 60 clubs the Cornish Rowing Association (CRA) with a membership of 7 clubs.

The CPGA regulates the rowing of Cornish Pilot Gigs.These are 6 oar and cox rowing boats. Races tend to be either straight line or triangular races and take place throughout the spring and summer culminating in the County Championships held in Newquay during September. The other major events for gig rowers are the World Championships held in the Isles of Scilly (picture 100 gigs lined up for the 'big race' it is a truly awesome sight) and the 3 starred events held throughout the summer. There are 6 age/gender ranges which are contested these being Mens, Ladies, Veterans, Mixed, Under 14's and Under 16's.

The CRA regulates the rowing of Flashboats and Skiffs. Flashboats are 4 oar and cox whilst skiffs are uncoxed and tend to be rowed with a pair of paddles. Races are normally point to point and the buoy turns can be very congested, the regattas are held again over the spring and summer but there are far fewer however all regattas are rowed for points in that seasons championship. Unlike a typical gig regatta where there are 7 or 8 races a CRA regatta can have anything upto 14 or 15 races on a day as there are far more variations of races that can be run.

Cornish Pilot Gigs

The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oared rowing boat, built of Cornish narrow leaf elm, 32 feet long with a beam of four feet ten inches.
Cornish pilot gig was originally used as a general work boat used for taking pilots out to incoming vessels off the Atlantic. Each crew would race to an incoming ship and the first to get their pilot on to the ship would be the one to get the job and be paid.

Pilot Gigs today
Today, pilot gigs are used primarily for sport, with around 100 clubs across the globe. The main concentration is within Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, there are also clubs in Devon, Dorset, Wales and London. Internationally there are pilot gig clubs in Australia, the Faeroe Islands, France, the Netherlands, and the USA.
The Cornish Pilot Gig Association monitors all racing gigs during the construction phase. The Association's Standards Officer is responsible for measuring every gig at least three times during construction, to ensure that it conforms to the Standard set by the Association.

 
FLASH BOATS

Flash boats are small, lightweight wooden boats that are rowed by a crew of four. The boats are a good starting point for young people who may be too small to row the heavier gigs but are just as good for adults, many of whom choose to row both gigs and flash boats. The summer regatta season is very popular and great fun for all the family.