In December the gig club will celebrate the end of its year as the first Cornish Pilot Gig rowing club in Hampshire.
The club launched on January 1st with a spectacular New Year’s Day boat re-naming ceremony and blessing.
There are over 3500 rowers nationally participating in the sport of gig rowing and racing, the majority being ladies. The club is fortunate to have the use of two beautiful wooden gigs which are presently leased from Mike Gilbert of Langstone Adventure Rowing. The gigs are named ‘Spirit of Langstone’ and ‘Heart of Hayling’. It is the clubs intention to raise funds in 2014 to purchase these two gigs. The ultimate challenge for the 18 founder members was entry into the World Cornish Pilot Gig Championships in the Isles of Scilly in May. A return trip is planned for 2014.
In September the club entered London’s Great River Race, a 22 mile marathon row on the Thames from the Isle of Dogs to Richmond in Surrey. A mixed and all ladies crew entered and both gigs completed the course in less than 3 hours.
The club is in search of funding and local sponsorship to help purchase the two gigs, maintain the equipment needed, to compete within this sport and to grow the membership within our community. Ways you can help are displayed on the clubs website.
Commencing in February 2014 the club will be recruiting boys and girls to establish junior Under 16 gig rowing crews to train together and compete in next year’s Junior World Gig Rowing Championships.
The gig club is fortunate to have four British Rowing approved and qualified rowing coaches. Training programmes are provided for men’s, women’s and junior rowing and team development.
Based at Northney Marina the club has access to the Chichester and Langstone harbours at most states of the tide enabling a regular training timetable. The club operates from Unit 3 at the Marina and uses rowing machines for fitness training.
Membership stands at seventy active members. The club welcomes you to come along and give gig rowing a try. The first row is free and can be booked by visiting the clubs website www.langstonecuttersgigclub.co.uk