Here are some more photos from our fantastic weekend – I think we will be buzzing for weeks!
If you have any to add then please email them to Sarah. Thank you!
More to follow soon…
It’s a bit of a different day on the islands today, we’ve lost the sun so the shorts are packed and the woolly hats back out! The seas look quite rough for those on the Scillonian…so everyone is envious of those who are flying.
The official results are now in! A full report will follow once we’re back on the mainland, but for now we are extremely proud to report the following:
Ladies
A team: 62nd – 6. Sarah Gall, 5. Meg Keegan, 4. Katie Turner, 3. Helen Atrill, 2. Charity Phillips, 1. Heidi Brodribb, Cox. Bill Stacey-Norris
B team: 104th – 6. Julie Rendle, 5. Nicky Evans, 4. Lynn Renton, 3. Claire Luxton, 2. Jane Morton, 1. Helen Samson-Hill, Cox. Simon Howes
Men’s
A team: 43rd – 6. Andy Morton, 5. Pete Keegan, 4. Mark Turner, 3. Jake Rendle, 2. Rob Dawe, 1. Simon Luke, Cox. Carolyn Dawe
B team: 127th – 6. Jean-Pierre Le Tissier (Cotehele Quay), 5. John Rogers, 4. Roger Hine, 3. Euan Roxburgh, 2. Peter Clark, 1. Matt Pinney, Cox. Chris Dill
We had a great time celebrating last night once the boats were packed away. They were manhandled very successfully off the beach and onto their trailers – who needs trolleys hey?! The meal at the Kavorna was very tasty, and we then went our separate ways, some to the campsite, some only made it as far as The Atlantic across the road, and others off to the Turks Head on St Agnes. But we did all have one thing in common, and that was that we made the most of some celebratory drinks – very well deserved I think!
So, it’s been an amazing weekend, we couldn’t have hoped for better conditions, and the results prove how good our teams really are. Huge congratulations to all that rowed and to our fantastic coxes. Thanks also to our two captains, Katie and Chris, our rowing captain Lynn and chairman Simon, and to those that have coached and coxed us in training, and of course a massive thank you to all our supporters and the rest of the club – we most certainly couldn’t have done it without you!
So, today has been another amazing day of weather. Slightly windier but another stunning day of sunshine. The morning kicked off with the ladies, with both teams having a brilliant row. The ladies B came fourth, with an amazing row, leaving them very happy. The ladies A came through again, winning their heat for the second time – fantastic! That moved them into group F for the final.
The men also had some fantastic results with the B team holding their own and finishing mid group which was great. The men’s A also held their position, coming in the top 5 in group D and setting themselves up to challenge the top crews in the final.
The wind died away again for the final races, and the atmosphere was electric. Both the men’s and ladies had 12 groups – A to L, and with it being the finals we were ready to give it everything we had left in the tank.
The ladies B came 8th in group I which was great, and the ladies A had another storming row, coming 2nd, narrowly beaten by Weymouth. That means they moved up from group H to second in group F – amazing!
The men’s B had another great row, holding their own and finishing middle of their group. The A team had a good strong row and a battle for the top spots. They came in in a fantastic 5th place! Amazing!
Everyone enjoyed themselves completely, the weather was brilliant and the team spirit has been fantastic. Rafting up at the end with some (many!) bottles of fizz was very special. We are so lucky to be here!
Official results to follow once there is space to get near the board! Presentations are underway for the winners of each group. Falmouth won both the men’s and the women’s races – amazing!
Now it’s time to celebrate and relax, dinner shortly and no doubt a few drinks before we are tucked up in bed with our cocoa – as instructed by our lovely rowing captain Lynn.
Photos to follow – more battery needed!
Both teams had an amazing heat. The B team came first by at least 3 boat lengths which was fantastic, so they have gone up into group K. The men’s A rowed really strongly, coming 4th in group D – well set up for tomorrow.
So that’s two boats winning there heats and 2 boats staying put, and everyone looking strong!
Off to shower and eat now before an early night ready to race out hearts out tomorrow. Can’t wait!
Today has been a gorgeously sunny day here on St Mary’s. The seas are flat and the racing has been fantastic. The ladies long race was first, after a morning of sorting the boats out and soaking up the atmosphere. Both crews had a strong row, with the A crew coming through into group H and the B crew in group I. The men then went out, with the men’s A having an amazing row, coming through into group D – fantastic, and the B in group L.
Round two came quickly after, with the weather holding and the seas just as beautifully flat. The ladies B were up first, doing us proud with a strong row and coming 8th in their heat. Then it was the A’s who had a storming row, winning their heat by a full boat length!
The men are rowing now….so more later…
Day two has been another lovely day, despite the fact that we haven’t seen the sun at all! We’ve got the boats sorted out and then had 4 boats on the water. The first was a mixed boat and they had some swells to battle…heading across to St Agnes and back. Then the men’s crews went out for a spin, by which time the swell had died away – phew! The ladies then followed suit, also enjoying glassy smooth seas and watching a gig sailing – and it looked gorgeous. Fingers crossed the seas are the same tomorrow….! The Scillonian has just arrived, delivering the last few club members safely, so now all that remains is to carb load and watch the vets. We’ll be cheering on Carolyn who is rowing for Cotehele Quay and Nicky for Langstone Cutters. Good luck ladies! Then it’ll be off to bed to make sure we are fully rested and ready to row!
All is well on St Mary’s. The sun is shining and the tents are pitched! Those who came on the Scillonian had a fairly damp crossing but the seas weren’t too lumpy – thank goodness! Today is just a relaxed day, we’ve located the gigs and made a plan for tomorrow. Now we’re off to do some exploring and to make the most of the shops before chaos descends with the arrival of tomorrow’s ferries.
Ginette has now joined Tamar on the islands! Thank you to Lynn Renton for delivering her safely to Penzance for us. Training is winding down now (the Ladies A even had a time for a cream tea after last Monday’s row – thank you Heidi) and there is less than a week to go before we will be heading west to join the gigs. In fact, this time next week day one of racing will be well and truly underway! We’ve been enjoying some much better weather recently, with some stunning weekend and evening rows. All the crews are looking strong, and despite some last minute injuries we have 4 full crews ready for action! The ladies managed a day sea training thanks to Bill Stacey-Norris a couple of weeks ago, and the men have been putting the hours in on the river. Now all that remains is to get everyone out to the Scillies and then to row our hearts out….bring it on!
Tamar went on her merry way today, taken to Penzance by John Rogers (thank you!) and seen safely aboard the Gry Maritha for her voyage to St Mary’s. She should be there by now, no doubt eagerly awaiting our arrival in less than a month’s time! Training is going well, with both Men’s and Ladies crews working hard on the ergos and on the water. You would in fact be forgiven for wondering if the coaches want us to be alive to make it to the Scilles given what ergo sessions entail at the moment! No pain, no gain though, and no doubt we will be greatly appreciating the blood sweat and tears when we hit the water for race one. Tomorrow brings the pre-IOS meal, and a chance for both squads to get together and swap notes. The countdown is truly on…so here’s to a good hard final month of training, and this time next month we will be there! Can’t wait!
Weir Quay Community Watersports Hub Club is delighted to announce that they have successfully secured £50,000 of funding from Sport England towards their new facilities at Weir Quay. The Hub Club, formed of Weir Quay Sailing Club and Tamar and Tavy Gig Club has been planning for these facilities since 2008 when both clubs learned that they would be losing their current, leased facilities, including boat storage and the dingy park.
This fantastic news goes a long way towards securing the long-term future of both clubs, with planning permission granted and the purchase of the land almost complete, the work will begin soon on the new facilities, including a boat park and boat shed with toilets and changing rooms.
Peter Key, founding chairman of the Hub Club said “The news of the grant from Sport England is another milestone passed for everyone who has been involved over many years in finding a permanent home for our Sailing Club and Gig Club. The fact that a national body like Sport England is offering financial support speaks volumes about the merit of the scheme and we should all be offering our thanks to those involved in preparing the bid. Do I see the Home Strait looming into view?”
The Sailing Club has been based at Weir Quay since 1966, and 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the Gig Club, and with the promise of new facilities now very much a reality, both clubs foresee a long and bright future, providing rowing and sailing opportunities for local residents of all ages. Cllr Mike Benson of West Devon Borough Council said “I am delighted that the Hub Club has been able to secure this magnificent grant from Sport England. This will make a significant contribution towards the creation of the new watersports facilities. Hopefully this will enable people of modest means to enjoy the waters of the Tamar Valley well into the future. Weir Quay provides West Devon’s only public access to coastal waters that is available at all tides.”
Both clubs are Community Amateur Sports Clubs (not private clubs). Membership of the Sailing Club costs a little under a pound per week with weekly sailing tuition in the season, and the Gig Club provides year round rowing and coaching opportunities for less than two pounds per week. More information can be found on their websites: http://www.weirquaysailingclub.co.uk/ and http://www.tamarandtavygigclub.co.uk/
A huge thank you must go to all involved in compiling the grant application and helping to secure the future of both clubs, and for all the support we have received. It is a fantastic achievement.
On Saturday 15th March, we entered a ladies crew into the Mini Scillies regatta hosted by Helford River Gig Club. A second weekend of sunshine made for a beautiful day of racing, with the crew competing in two races. The rowers were Julie Rendle, Lynn Renton, Katie Turner, Helen Atrill, Claire Luxton and Nicky Evans, and they were coxed by Simon Howes. Some of the top crews were racing which made for a challenging competition, but our ladies had a great couple of races, rowing strongly and showing their determination. They battled a strong head wind on the second race, but some great coxing from Simon helped them to stay strong, powering past the Brixham crew and taking a few boats on the line to finish in 12th place out of 23 boats – a fantastic result. Thanks go especially to Nicky Evans who was rowing with jet lag!
This was a warm up for the World Pilot Gig Championships which are held on the Isles of Scilly every May, providing a great opportunity for us to get out on the water for some sprint racing, and with competition of a very high standard, the club are now looking forward to a fantastic championships. Crews are in the final stages of training, working hard and more determined than ever to succeed.
What a fantastic start to the rowing season! On Sunday 9th March, we entered 2 ladies and 2 mens crews into the Three Rivers Race hosted by Caradon Gig Club at Saltash. The weather was stunning, which made a very welcome change after the tough conditions we faced in training, and the river was calm. Spirits were high, with 59 boats entered in the ladies race and 51 in the mens and everyone looking forward to getting out on the water. The course was a tough 10 km, requiring a lot of grit and determination. The boats started under the Tamar Bridge before heading upriver into the mouth of the Tavy, then back, past Saltash and down river into the mouth of the Lynher, before turning again and finishing just short of the bridge.
The ladies raced first, entering an A team formed of Sarah Gall, Lynn Renton, Katie Turner, Heidi Brodribb, Charity Philips and Helen Atrill and coxed by Bill Stacey-Norris. They had a great race, pitted against some very strong crews in their heat, and battling for position around the course. Some excellent coxing and a strong, hard row in the final leg gave them the edge they needed and they overtook 2 boats and held off a third to cross the finish line in 30th position in a time of 60:07. The ladies B team, formed of Julie Rendle, Jane Morton, Debbie Farmer, Sandra Anstey, Claire Luxton and Helen Samson-Hill also had a very strong race, managing to take a few boats at the first turn, which put them in the middle of their heat. They held their position for the rest of the race, and had a strong finish, with some excellent coxing from Carolyn Dawe helping them home in 40th place and with a time of 61:44.
After a quick change of crews, the men took to the water. Their A team, formed of Andy Morton, Pete Keegan, Mark Turner, Stuart Heale, Jake Rendle and Rob Dawe rowed very well, with a fantastic start and some great coxing from Carolyn Dawe putting them into a strong position. They managed to hold this throughout, with a tough battle as they crossed the finish line putting them in 21st place with a time of 50:24. The men’s B team, formed of Roger High, Tim Brodribb, Dan High, Jon Overnells, Simon Luke and John Rogers and coxed by Becky Masters also had a good race. They held their position, holding off some other boats and working hard, with some determined rowing and excellent coxing helping them across the line in 58:18, 49th place.
All in all it was a fantastic day of racing, and a strong start to the season. It was lovely to be back on the water, in great conditions, and with lots of support from club members – many thanks to all involved and to Caradon Gig Club for a brilliant day.
Cornish Pilot Gig Association fixtures for 2014 as they currently stand. Please be aware that this is a draft so will be subject to change.
Download the CPGA Fixtures 2014 here
On Saturday 19th October 2013, Tamar & Tavy Gig Club travelled to Helford Passage to row in the Head of the River Race, hosted by Helford River Gig Club. The race was handicapped, with a mix of crews competing, including ladies, mens, vets, mixed and juniors, with the boats setting off in groups and the strongest crews starting last and trying to catch the boats ahead.
Tamar & Tavy Ladies started in the third group, with the crew consisting of Julie Rendle, Julie Eastaugh, Katie Turner, Sandra Anstey, Sarah Gall and Clare Luxton, coxed by Jo Cameron. They were in a group of about 8 boats at the start, and battled their way up the river, vying for position with a number of other gigs. They rowed strongly, with lots of encouragement and great coxing carrying them to the finish line, where a final effort saw them holding their place and beating the boat that was the fastest to complete the course by the skin of their teeth! They completed the course in 42:41 minutes, coming 17th out of the 29 boats competing.
T&T Men’s crew, Mark Turner, Dan High, John Rogers, Rob Dawe, Pete Keegan and Jake Rendle coxed by Carolyn Dawe
The Men’s crew, Mark Turner, Dan High, John Rogers, Rob Dawe, Pete Keegan and Jake Rendle formed a very strong crew. They too had a fantastic race, starting 6 minutes behind the ladies, and some great coxing from Carolyn Dawe resulted in them overtaking a number of boats, and crossing the line in 38:52 minutes, making them third fastest to complete the course. A brilliant result to end the season!
Both crews had a great day out, rowing on a beautiful stretch of water and enjoying the sunshine, making the most of the last race before the winter kicks in.