The Cornish Pilot Gig racing season moves to Dorset this weekend

The Cornish Pilot Gig racing season moves to Dorset this weekend for the final round of the Senior Summer Series. Hundreds of gig rowers will be taking part as Weymouth Rowing Club hosts the racing.

The Senior Summer Series is a new competition for this year which has proved popular with participating clubs. Previous events have taken place in Marazion and Pentewan in Cornwall and Paignton in Devon.

Currently leading the table are Falmouth in the Open (Mens) category and Caradon (Saltash) in the Women’s competition. Gig Clubs taking part are Appledore, Brixham, Bridport, Clifton, Caradon, Falmouth, Langstone, Paignton, Portland, Padstow and Rame.

Weymouth’s Nothe Fort is a great place to watch the racing which will start just after 10 am.

Gigs are 32 foot long traditionally built open wooden boats rowed by six crew and steered by a coxswain. The sport has grown enormously since its revival in the 80’s, there are now eight thousand rowers in 90 clubs spread across the UK, with more in Europe and America.

Dylan Jane from the CPGA said, “The summer series finally makes its way to Dorset and Weymouth for the culmination of what has been a great series of racing. It is testament to the crews that have committed to going to all four events that they see themself rise to the top”.

Nick George, from the CPGA said "The Senior Summer Series, has given us some great days of racing and the venues have been perfect to trial new formats. The feedback from rowers has been very positive. We’ll conclude the series in Weymouth with the introduction of some tricky turns, which will challenge crews and coxswains in new ways”