This is perhaps a bit esoteric … but it is quite therapeutic …. 16 mins of gigs coming in after the Men’s Final
Gig rowing
World Gig Rowing Champs Day 3
The morning after the day before …….. big time sea mist
Can’t even see the end of harbour
Through the mist an ocean liner appears
Getting better – soon be time to start racing …
Rodney Bey heads out for the Finals
Followed by Shelly Maid
Rodney Bey weaving her way through the boats in the harbour
Followed by Shelly Maid
Like butterflies over the water …
Still a bit misty half way over
But it has cleared by the time racing begins. On the way back …. Rodney Bey holding off Ella Rose
Shelly Maid – looking good
And now the liner appears! Shelly Maid being edged by Energy
Glorious spectacle
End of the Men’s Race – all the Crews raise their oars to the Champions
Nothing quite like it in UK sport
158 gigs with their oars – amazing
Well done all and thanks to the organisers….. lets do it all again next year.
Congratulations to Looe (Mens champions) Caradon (Ladies champions)
Gig champs day 2
The weather yesterday was idyllic! I can’t remember a World Champs Day when the weather was so perfect.
It all starts at a leisurely pace….
Standing around and thinking
It’s a busy beach now
The sunlight was perfect …
On the way out to the start
And then the racing begins
Shelly Maid in the middle of it
Coxing in action ……
All done
But none of this explains why 10 pints of Proper Job had to accompany me .. all’s well this morning
Salcombe Regatta 2017
After a very wet morning in Salcombe the sun finally came out when the racing began – here are a few photos from the afternoon
Mens B Crew getting the better of Penlee Point
Time to stop rowing
Starting line for the Ladies B
Shelly Maid pulling out of the pack
Lovely little beach
Sparkling sea
Great day for the Ladies B – really making some progress compared to last year
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The World Gig Rowing Championships – final race
After the final race all 150 gigs raft up in the harbour
Much merriment is had
Our Hawaiian theme
Enough said
All the crews then raise their oars as the final heat and the World Champions arrive
Black Rock …. again …. very well done
Margot and Caroline won the Sportsman Trophy for their amazing volunteering efforts in the Tunnel and the Slipway over the weekend – without volunteers this event would collapse!
Bonus row in Serica
Got a bonus row last night with the ‘American’ crew at the Isles of Scilly World Gig Rowing Championships. I say ‘American’ as there was only one American in the boat – the rest of use were English! Nevertheless we were rowing in the Super Vets Race for Gloucester Gig Rowing Club from Massachusetts!
We had borrowed the St Mary’s Gig Serica which was built in 1967.
A slight problem was that the gig leaked rather badly ….. Serica obviously hadn’t been in the water for months and wood had dried out.
Hey ho – all part of life’s rich tapestry!
The weather was pretty good for the race from St Agnes even if the tides weren’t so kind.
With a boat half full of water and a crew that had never rowed together the result was inevitable but nevertheless it was great fun.
The blessing and launch of Shelly Maid
Yesterday Exmouth Gig Club celebrated the blessing and launch of Shelly Maid – our brand new gig boat – built by Louis Hunkin and funded by the One Family Foundation. A great day in the sunshine here are some of my photos from the day.
Our new gig
Had two rows this morning, the first in our new as yet un-named gig which was funded by the OneFamily Foundation after we won the public ballot last year – which many of you helped us with.
So here is the new gig – which will be named in due course and will then be going to the Isles of Scilly for the World Championships
Rodney Bey was also out this morning – this is the Exmouth A crew and I’m in the new gig with the B crew
Out early – the sun rises over the sea front at Exmouth
Rodney Bey
Getting ready to race the A crew who only seem to have 5 oars? They still beat us though but we did have a broken pin at the start ……..
The trace of the first row
Both gigs together
Trace of the shorter second row
The new gig is a treat to row and is fabulous!
Thanks OneFamily Foundation.
If you fancy gig rowing with the Exmouth Gig Club – press here.
Sunrise in Exmouth
Beautiful sunrise in Exmouth this morning
Chilly but near perfect conditions for gig rowing with Exmouth Gig Club
Time for a breather
Launch point
The rules of the sea
Yesterday I went to a course which started the process about becoming a cox for Exmouth Gig Club. Here are a few photos from my note book.
Different types of buoys – lateral buoys: red on the left (port), green on the right (starboard) – mark the navigable channel when entering a port; cardinal markers – locating hazards and various other buoys.
How has priority on the sea and how to avoid collisions
Blasts on the horn along with spring and neap tides
The rule of twelfths and the impact of highs and lows
Buoys in the Exe Estuary
And how they really are from the Exmouth Tidetable 2017
A great day – thanks Max
A Dartmoor blog 