Great gig on the water Brixham club

This weekend is a very special one in the annual calendar of Brixham Gig Racing Club, as they host a winter regatta with visiting clubs from Salcombe, Dartmouth, Teignmouth and Paignton.

The regatta offers a superb viewing point from Brixham Breakwater, one of the best places to watch gig racing in the whole region.

The club has been going since 2010, and for vice-chairman Gordon Petrie this weekend is a superb opportunity to showcase this uniquely local sport.

He said: “Gigs were originally built for two purposes, to win the pilot work for harbours in Cornwall, which is where the sport started, and they were also used for lifeboats in the early days.

“As engines took over the pilot boats and lifeboats, gig racing became a sport and the organising body is the Cornish Pilot Gig Association.

“At Brixham, we typically attend 25 regattas across the south of England. These are predominantly in Cornwall and Devon, but there are clubs in Bristol, Lyme Regis, Sidmouth and a couple in London, as well as some globally, where Cornish and Devon people have migrated.

“When we race, the wooden racing gigs are all built to a very tight specification, with only a small number of boat builders who are authorised to build them.

“We have three wooden racing gigs and three plastic gigs at Brixham, which are used for training because there is less wear and tear.

“The first regatta of the summer season is the Three Rivers Race at Saltash, which took place a fortnight ago, but this weekend is an event in the Winter League Regatta, and it is our turn to host.

“In the summer, we host a Championship event on behalf of the CPGA and always a fabulous occasion, as all the crews come down with their oars of differing colours, resting them against the Breakwater wall, which is a fantastic spectacle.

“Within gig racing, there are a range of categories, starting with the open event for all ages, then the veterans from 40, supervets from 50 and the masters from 60. We also have junior teams and our U16 team has been extremely successful.

“Our club ranges from juniors under the age of 14 to members over the age of 70. We currently have 172 members at the club and a bit maxed out at the moment. We had less than 120 members two years ago but that has grown massively.

“Where we would make an exception is for people under the age of 30 and with rowing experience because, like with all sports, we suffer a drop-off when youngsters go off to University etc.

“Our ambition is to keep young people engaged and to keep them loving the sport.”

The regatta starts on Saturday from 9.30am, with racing due to finish around 4pm, followed by presentations, as this is the final regatta of the series. Get on down to the Breakwater to enjoy some superb racing on the water.  

In addition to the racing, the Brixham Gig Club is always on the look-out for new sponsorship partners to join them.

“Generally, we are quite self-sufficient,” added Gordon, but we have just gone through a massive spike of costs, where we needed to acquire a new training boat and we’ve had some damage to one of our racing boats.

“When I talk to sponsors, my first question is what would they like back in return? Some people are happy to donate money, while others offer equipment, and we offer engagement with the local community.

“This week, I attended a watersports forum run by Torbay Council, which was looking to engage watersports enthusiasts and commercial enterprises to make the most of the full range of activities on the water.

“It all helps the bay in general, providing visitors with opportunities to enjoy watersports. We want to engage with local people and local businesses.”

The club’s Facebook page is full of contact details and opportunities to learn more.