Brixham Gig heading for World Champs

Brixham Gig Club will fly the flag for Torbay at the 2024 World Pilot Gig Championships in the Isles of Scilly in May.

The vibrant Brixham club has grown from starting up in 2011 and a membership of over 170 people ranging from under 14 to over 70, making it one of the largest in the country. As a sport, the attraction is the mental and physical benefits from the rowing and social activity. 

From a competitive perspective, the club attends around 25 regattas each year with race teams from under 14 to Masters (over 60) and the flagship event is the World Championships https://www.wpgc.uk/. The regattas are held all across the south of England from London to Land’s End.

The club is run entirely by volunteers and tries to be self-sufficient but there are always opportunities for local companies or those with maritime interests to support the club.

There may be up to 120 gigs racing and all those gigs have to be transported to St. Mary’s. For Brixham, that means taking their racing gig to Penzance to get loaded on the ferry and the same laborious process on the way back, but it’s worth it.