Thanks to very generous donations and sponsorship we have managed to purchase a beautiful set of new oars for our ladies crews, we had a perfect day for wetting them with completely flat glass-like water, and a few mince pies and mulled wine.
Join us for our annual get together, there will be races to the Tamar Bridge and back, novice and junior racing, raffle, bar, hot and cold food and all situated on the banks of the river.
All welcome to spectate, and cheer us on.
We entered two crews to this years Great London River Race, a ladies Vets in Ginette and a mixed crew in Tamar, the race is 21miles from Isle of Dogs to Ham taking in all the iconic landmarks on the way and is a real spectacle for rowers and spectators alike.
Results are in! 324 boats competed overall with times ranging from 2hr 11mins to 5hrs 15mins:
TAMAR – 135th over the line in 2:53:26 which is 94th on handicap
GINETTE – 158th over the line in 2:57:21 which is 119th on handicap. Well done crews!
Great feature in Tavylinks Aug/Sept 2016 issue, all about the club and what we get up to on the water. See page 57.
On June 12th, Tamar & Tavy Gig Club enjoyed the grand opening of our new home at Weir Quay, the site is a joint venture with Weir Quay Sailing Club and had struggled for many years to get funding and planning permission but the hard work has finally paid off as both groups were represented by their juniors in the official cutting of the ribbon, marking the beginning of a new era. The new site will once completed be a great facility for enticing more young people into sport and a huge thank you goes out to all the amazing and generous donators who’ve supported us.
Members of Tamar and Tavy Gig Club enjoyed a fabulous day at Daymer Bay over the late May bank holiday weekend when they took part in Rock Regatta. The course took the rowers out to the legendary Doom Bar and is one of the most stunning settings for a regatta.
The first races of the day took place in thick sea mist making it difficult for the coxes to navigate the marker buoy. The ladies vets in Tamar had a good race and found a burst of speed to overtake Lantic just before the finish line ending in 16th place. The mist cleared to give a beautiful sunny day. Next up was the Ladies B race with most of the crew having just rowed in the vets. The ladies did well and cox Mark Turner earned applause from the umpire boat for a rather brilliant buoy turn moving the crew up a place finally finishing in 24th place.
The clubs junior section took a crew of under 16 boys and girls most of whom had never raced before. They rowed a fantastic race coxed by Helen L and finished 10th. The juniors were a real credit to the club enjoying themselves and staying till the end to help pack the boat for the homeward journey.
Next was the strong Ladies A crew who gained a brilliant 5th place in their race. They were right up with the leading pack all the way and in the melee of boats experienced some oar clashing with other crews causing a few “crabs to be caught”.
A very beautiful day was had by all.
Ladies Race Report
Arriving early to wind and dark clouds, and seeing the river flowing fast, we knew we were in for a bumpy ride, it’s not unusual for this particular race as along with being one of the longest races of the season it has a tendency to be unpredictable. By the time the ladies race had began at 11am however, the sun was shining through and had taken the edge off the chill in the air. We were in heat 4 so had a nice little warm up before we took to the start line and took off all the nice warm layers. It should be noted that we had unfortunately had to have a last minute crew change and lost out on bringing a B crew, we had not trained together and had a fairly sloppy start, not helped by another boat zig zagging across the water getting in our way, our wonderful cox did a great job of finding us some clear water to get into our stride, find a good rhythm and get those muscles into action. The act of “finding water” as waves rolled past (and sometimes straight over our poor #1) kept us pre-occupied enough that it didn’t seem long before the first buoy turns were out of the way and the water was in our favour for the next section of the race back to the bridge, we had by this point overtaken Cream of Cornwall with a good lead so took some breaths, relaxed into it and kept going. The usual lumpy water under the bridge tested the fact that we’d not been training as a crew but we got through it and the slog from bridge to the next set of buoys seemed to go on forever, we held our position in the pack and were slowly and steadily gaining on the boats ahead. As soon as we had turned at the buoys and began heading back upstream we felt the water harden as the current and wind pushed against us, our cox did a brilliant job of not letting the momentum drop, reminding us that “Tamar & Tavy can FINISH!” and letting us know that we were gaining on the group ahead, we gave it everything in that last stretch, we began to hear the sound of their oars and then we were past them, and as the counts of “10 hard ones” and the grunting and pain increased we past another, and then another, we had past three boats in the final stretch and then the horn sounded to say it was all over and we’d made it.
COX: Lynn Renton
#6: Sarah Gall
#5: Susan Douglas
#4: Amy Ross
#3: Denise Nixon
#2: Debbie Farmer
#1: Helen Lloyd
RESULTS:
LADIES – 54 / 68
MEN – 45 / 64
If you are interested in joining us but have some trepidation then hopefully your questions will be answered here, if not then feel free to drop us a line and we will be happy to help.
- Will I get huge arm muscles if I row?
Unlikely, as rowing isn’t about using just your arms but your whole body and therefore the exertion is spread out, it’s a full body work out that’s great for core strength and also low impact so looking after your joints. - You don’t go rowing when it rains though do you?
Yes indeed, we do go out in most conditions as long as it’s safe to do so, we’ll not go out if it’s too windy or visibility is poor but rain, snow and even hailstones are all perfectly acceptable, rowing in waterproof clothing is always an option but you’ll find the exercise is more than enough to keep you warm whatever the weather. - I’m too old to start something like that.
Ok not a question but something I’ve heard plenty of people say and it’s just not true. There are vets (over 40s) and supervets (over 50s) teams that compete just as competitively and just as enthusiastically as anyone else, and if you don’t want to compete but just want to get some fresh air and exercise then that’s fine too, just come along and give it a go and we’ll find a session to suit you. - What equipment do I need? As a club we have almost everything you need for each session, ie boat, oar, seat and life-jacket, you will need a bottle of water, warm clothing, trainers and either wet shoes or wellies to get the boat in and out of the water, we may also want to wear gloves (fingerless cycling gloves are ideal as they give good grip) as rowing is tough on the hands.
- How often do you train? It depends of the time of year and what races we have coming up but usually 2-3 times a week, in the winter this involves training indoors on a ergometer (ergo for short), which means we still get to keep fit and train in a group when the evenings are too dark for rowing. We also like to go out for social rows which are more relaxed and allow us to visit places we can’t usually get to on a shorter session. You are not forced to join every session but many find themselves quickly hooked and wanting more.
- How much does it cost? A years adult membership is just £82.50 so just £6.88/month, you can attend as many session as you like meaning the more you participate the better value it is. There discounts available for junior, family and part-year membership or you can pay per session for £5, and don’t forget our three free trial rows so you can give it a good go before deciding if rowing is for you.
- Where do I sign up?
If you’re ready to give it a go then follow this link. Join Us
Yes we’ve jumped straight into the 21st century with our very own Facebook page, please follow us on the link below to keep up to date with our training, upcoming events and news.
http://www.facebook.com/tamartavygig
Well-travelled gig!
Tamar & Tavy Gig club, only weeks after taking the Cornish Pilot Gig ‘Ginette’ to Scotland to row the 60 mile Caledonian Canal, ventured to London on 12th September for the Great River Race 2015. This is a spectacular boat race up the river Thames. The course is 21 miles from London’s Docklands to Ham House passing under 28 iconic bridge; starting with tower Bridge and ending just after Richmond Bridge. Towing a 33 foot boat through Central London, ready for the start at Mill Wall Slip was an adventure in itself, passing by parliament and the Tower of London. The race attracts huge numbers of spectators and over 330 crews from all over the globe, with the Dutch out in force. Each boat carries a crew, cox, passenger and a large flag. The atmosphere is tremendous, with cheering, fancy dress and a huge range of paddle propelled craft.
Tamar and Tavy Gig Club, ably coxed by chairman Simon Howes, fielded a ladies crew of Lyn Renton (stroke), Denise Nixon, Heidi Brodribb, Charity Lake, Mel Cotton, Amy Ross and Helen Lloyd. A strong head wind on the day meant Dragon boats were prohibited entry by the Port of London Authority, but the rest of the boats took to the water and the race was on! Tamar & Tavy rowed very strongly and had a thoroughly enjoyable race despite the strong headwind. The happy and hardworking crew were welcomed home by the boom of a canon, crossing the line at the 3 hour mark mid-fleet, and finishing strongly with a final burst of 10 more, 10 more and yet 10 more strong stokes to overtake several boats, including some men’s teams, in the last leg of the pursuit race. The team were proud to be wearing new kit sponsored by Hogg’s Bottom Preserves and flying the Devon Flag.
Caledonian Canal Expedition or..Tamar and Tavy Gig Club “The wee boat with a flag”
23rd to 29th August 2015
Rob Dawe, vice chairman of the club, decided 2 years ago to take on and organise the challenge of rowing the 62 + miles of the Caledonian Canal from Fort William to Inverness. Planning came to fruition in the last week of August this year.
Day 1. The 16 strong team set off on the long 600 mile plus journey to Fort William. We arrived to warm sunshine and balmy
Day 2. Our Cornish Pilot Gig, ‘Ginette’, was the safety of the Sailing Club and the morning began with sunshine, bright skies ahead and grey skies behind. Launching from a slipway at Lochaber, with the boat flying the flag of Devon, a short row took the crew to the entrance of the Caledonian Canal at Corpach, Just into the Canal brought us to the eight locks of Neptune’s Staircase, gradually lifting the boat to a height of 70 feet above sea level. This heralded the start of an 8 mile row along the canal to Gairlochy and our first night’s camping.
The ground support team took the boat trailer to Dochgarroch, near Inverness, where parking had been arranged for the week. This proved a good introduction to the easy-going nature of the Highlands, the lock-keeper – who clearly knew nothing of the arrangement, only commented, “Aye, if you say so”.
Day 3. After breakfast, it was into the boat for the rowers and through the lock into Loch Lochy, for its entire length- leaving behind the shadow of Ben Nevis, then back into the Canal to Loch Oich, followed by Canal all the way to Fort Augustus, our next night’s stop.
Day 4. Starting from a beautiful Fort Augustus and a lesson that locks only operate one way – taking boats up, or taking boats down. So although ready at 0930 at the top of the first of 5 locks taking the canal down to Loch Ness, a “double” lift of boats from Loch Ness to the top meant it was 1230 before the gig hit the waters of the Loch. A slow start to a hard day’s row.
Given Loch Ness’ 23 mile length, our next stop was planned roughly halfway along, pulling the boat ashore for the night at Borlum, near Castle Urquhart. The constantly changing and stunning scenery more than made up for the minor discomforts of midges and showers. That evening a trip to a nearby pub/micro brewery producing Loch Ness Ales. There were many friendly greetings at the numerous locks, and great interest from other sailors and pedestrians. In fact, in the course of the journey, the gig became known to fellow travellers and the lock-keepers, as “the wee boat with the flag”.
Day 5. – and the last leg of the row – completing Loch Ness and still in choppy water and a strong SW wind – and back into the Caledonian Canal for the final leg to Inverness. All that was left was to take the gig from its mooring in Inverness through the Sea Lock into the Beauly Firth for a short sea row to the slipway of North Kessock,
A final night of celebration at a well-known eating and music venue – Hootenannys – capped a memorable experience for all.
The rowers: Lynn Renton, Helen Samson-Hill, Tricia Stewart, Helen Lloyd, Ginette Nobbs, Sue Douglass, Simon Howes, Mike Vosper, John Rogers and Chris Dill.
The runners, cyclists and climbers: Rob Dawe, Carolyn Dawe, Ginette Nobbs, Charlie Lloyd and Sam Lloyd.
The ground support crew: Andy Stewart and Brian Nobbs (who built Ginette and towed her up from Weir Quay).
66 MILES, 29 LOCKS, 4 AQUEDUCTS AND 10 BRIDGES!
A GREAT ADVENTURE AND THANKS TO ALL FOR A GREAT TEAM EFFORT!
On 11th July, Tamar & Tavy Gig Club travelled to Daymer Bay for a regatta hosted by Rock Pilot Gig Rowing Club. It was a brilliant sunny, windy day in the gorgeous setting of the Camel estuary. Tamar & Tavy entered Ladies A, B and vets crews and Men’s A and B crews into the racing, rowing against a mix of other clubs with between 14 and 20 boats in each race. The racing conditions were hard with boats battling tide and wind around the course, but all crews rowed strongly and enjoyed taking on the elements. The ladies vets rowed really hard, taking two boats at the first bouy and finishing a creditable 14th. The ladies and men’s B teams both had hard races, battling tide and wind around the course and other boats to the line, both finishing in 13th place. The ladies and men’s A teams were also very strong, with the ladies fighting for water around a couple of buoy turns and the men rowing strongly throughout, both finishing in the middle of the pack. All in all it was a brilliant day of racing and spirits were high. Many thanks to Rock for such a fun and well organised regatta, to Simon Howes for towing the gig and to all rowers and supporters for another great day out.
Photo credit: Katie Turner and Matthew Pinney
Here are a few shots from this years IOS. Thanks to those who have sent some for us to include here, if anyone else has any they would like to share then please let Sarah know.
Well, we’re done! Fantastic rowing yesterday in really lumpy seas. Unfortunately the sun only put in an appearance fleetingly and we had some rain and a good bit of wind. But the conditions just added to the fun (unless you were in 1…!).
The day started with the ladies heat 3. The A crew held their place in group F, coming in third, but unfortunately the B crew were pipped at the post and ended up going back down into group K. The conditions had worsened by the time the men got out there, but both teams rowed really well and held their position in their groups G and K. It was a close call in all the men’s heats with lots of boats fighting for the line which made for some good battles.
As always, the weekend was over far too quickly with the final suddenly upon us. The ladies were up first and both crews had a great row in really challenging seas. The A team finished third in their heat, beating Cotehele A crew (yey!) and taking another boat on the line. The B crew held their own in group K and finished 10th with a really strong row.
The men also had a good row, with the A’s finishing second in group G and only missing out on a win by a narrow margin! The B team finished 6th in group K having had a really good row too.
Well done everyone! And to all those who haven’t been to Scilly before in particular – Sue, Denise, Amy, Lizzie, Jennie, Kev, Chris, and especially to Stuart for stepping in at the last minute and rowing for the men’s B! It was definitely challenging conditions for a first IOS!
Here’s to next year! 
Great racing so far, although the weather has definitely put our skills to the test! The vets & supervets had a very lumpy row on Friday night with lots of wind and some rain to keep them on their toes. Both boats did brilliantly and had a great row despite the conditions – a good warm up for the rest of the weekend!
Despite rumours that the racing might be delayed, or even cancelled, we woke up this morning to a much calmer sea – much to our relief! And have had some good rows as a result. The long race from St Agnes to St Mary’s was still pretty challenging, but once we were in the lee of St Mary’s things got a lot better and we were able to get some power down and really row.
The weather closed in again for the second race with conditions on the start line a bit reminiscent of the Three Rivers Race! But the seas were calmer (unless you were in the bow…) and it was much more our water.
Currently the Ladies A are moving up from group G to F having won their heat by a good margin, the Ladies B are also moving up, from group K to group J having come a close second. The men’s A are in G, and the men’s B in K.
Fingers crossed for some sunshine tomorrow – and here’s to another great day on the water!
(No photos so far I’m afraid as the Internet is not letting me upload them. We have been taking lots though so they will be uploaded as soon as we are home.)