A World Class Champion
The May Bank Holiday weekend 2017 saw the 28th Annual World Pilot Gig Championships held in the Isles of Scilly.
The Championship is the pinnacle of every gig rower's Calendar and training for the event started in October. Pilot gigs are traditional Cornish rowing boats designed to race to shipwrecks and claim salvage rights, now they are used as racing vessels and compete all over the United Kingdom, predominantly England and more recently in Holland, the USA, Australia, France and Bermuda. The boats are 32 feet long, built of Cornish elm and are a fixed seat rowing vessel.
This year's Championships hosted 144 women's and 140 men's crews. Raced over two days, the Caradon Ladies fought off tough opposition to win two of the three preliminary races.
Last year we gained our first world title and for me that was the pinnacle of sixteen years of hard training and dedication. To try and retain the title was even tougher, expectation and pressure was massive and the nerves were incredible. The aim was to replicate our hours of training, try and get a lead and push a way down the twelve minute course. Conditions over the whole weekend were tough with big swell and a strong side wind. The race went to plan and although having to battle hard with the Fowey and Scillies crews, who eventually took second and third, we were completely overwhelmed with our achievement. All the ladies have been so committed and have sacrificed their personal time throughout the tough winter months to retain the title. To become a world champion for the second time makes it all worth while, we are very proud of our achievements and hope to inspire all young rowers to strive for every success. We now look forward to a successful season and the defence of the next title.