Contact Club Chairman Paul Kunert - Telephone 07527095835 Group meets regularly at the Higher Ferry Slip, Coronation Park, Birssys Bar, and Floating Bridge Inn

Membership fee: Adults £50 per annum

Social Rowing Saturdays/Sundays mornings and summer evenings

Ladies Saturdays/Sundays mornings and summer evenings

Men Saturdays/Sundays mornings and summer evenings

Club Captain - Tony Rendle Tel: 07971963004

Mens Captain - Freddy Prettyjohns Tel: 07977825916

Ladies Captin - Clare Thorp Tel: 07966170468

THE CORNISH PILOT GIG The design of the Cornish Pilot Gig stems from the days when pilots were rowed out to sailing vessels on their homeward voyage, returning from America, Australia, the West Indies and many other ports around the world.

Competition was fierce; the first crew to get their pilot aboard won the contract. No win no money was the order of the day.

William Peters of St Mawes built many of those early craft, each new gig designed to outrun the rest. This continued until William decided that with a gig called the ‘Treffry’, built in 1838 he had achieved his goal, the fastest craft best suited for Cornish waters. He must have done his job well, because today that very same gig is still raced by the Newquay Rowing Club, and all modern gigs have been built to her specification and standard.

The first ever regatta programmes feature races for 6 oared boarding gigs racing for the fantastic sum of a purse of 20 sovereigns.

The gig is considered by connoisseurs of rowing to be the ultimate in fixed seat team rowing.

All modern gig racing is held under the official rules of the Cornish Pilot Gig Association.

DART GIG CLUB The club, formed in 1996, participates in pilot gig racing around the south west of England and further field to France, and Holland. A season of racing takes place most weekends from late March to October with the World championships in the Isles of Scilly each spring May bank holiday weekend where teams regularly attend from the USA, Faroes, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Our own gig regatta event here on the Dart is Satuday April 2nd 2011, where 12 visiting boats participate in a 3000m triangle course from The higher ferry, towards the castles, and finishing in line with the Dart Yacht Club.

The club has two gigs, Volante and Lightning, built locally by gig building legends Brian and Andrew Pomeroy.

The club has been very successful in competition, fielding men’s and ladies A B and C crews as well as veterans (over 40s), Super Vets (over 50s), and Mixed Rowing crews.

The club is funded by annual subscription.

The gigs are suitable for both experienced rowers and novices and they give people chance to take part in a sport that has changed little in 150 years.

Members row all year round in our GRP training boat weather permitting, and Sundays until days are long enough for evening rowing.