Hamworthy Park – Gig Rowing Regatta. The 5 Islands Race

A pilot gig is a long, narrow, paddle-powered vessel with 6 fixed seats for oarsmen and helmed by a coxwain.

Gigs were originally used to transport a ‘pilot’ from land to large vessels in need of specialist navigation to get them safely into port.

Whichever gig reached the ship first won the right to pilot her in, plus the pot of prize money.

The crew also gained the work of repairing or servicing the boat during it’s stay. Gigs were also historically used as lifeboats and for smuggling.

As the pay was so sought after, pilot gigs were made to be as fast as possible, due to each team being desperate for victory.

Whenever a new gig was built, it would be tested against other boats in the fleet to ensure it was as agile and streamline as could be. Due to a healthy dose of competitive spirit and an element of sportsmanship, these trial runs became permanent fixtures between crews, and pilot gig racing came into fruition.

– A traditional Cornish pilot gig is a 6-man rowing boat, 32 feet in length and a 4ft 9in beam
– They are clinker built with Elm on Oak
– The specification is based on the “Trefry,” a gig built in 1838 and still in regular use by Newquay Rowing Club
– Their original use was to take pilots out to incoming ships in the Atlantic Approaches
– The fastest gig had the best chance of securing pilotage fees
– Gig racing has become established as a sport in the West Country and is spreading worldwide
– Arry Paye is a fibreglass gig built in St. Austell in 2010 and named after the infamous pirate of Poole
– It was built in preparation for a charity row from Penzance to Poole with a mixed crew from the Pirates of Poole and Swanage Sea Rowing Club
– Fibreglass gigs are used for training sessions as they can be left in the water, unlike wooden gigs
– Arry Paye was jointly paid for by the Pirates of Poole and Swanage Sea Rowing Club