Gig boat sprint races at Appledore, Monday 15th August
Barnstaple Pilot Gig Club Joined other clubs from Appledore, Torridge, Ilfracombe, Bude, Boscastle and Crackington Haven, and Clovelly to compete in the annual Pilot Gig Boat sprint races on Monday evening, as part of the Appledore and Instow regatta week.
The boats and crews assembled at Churchfield car park made a colourful and bustling site as up to eleven boats left the slipway for each of the seven races, to row to the start line near the Middle Dock. The course was approximately 400 metres long with the finishing line marked by the lamp post at the steps by the slipway.
The first race was for the Men’s A crews, and this was fiercely contested, with Raparee (Ilfracombe) taking the lead early on, only to be overtaken by Nipper (Barnstaple) a short distance from the finishing line. All of the boats were in close contact during the three-minute race, but Nipper maintained strong, disciplined rowing for the whole course length to take the lead, coxed and encouraged by Kelly Baker, much to the delight of club members and members of the public assembled on the jetty above the finishing line.
The following races were Ladies A, Men’s B, Ladies B, Under 18, Novice and Mixed Vets, with the last race almost in the dark after 9.00pm. The trophies for each of the races were presented to the happy winning crews outside the Royal pub, after the boats had been recovered up the slipway and loaded on to the trailers they arrived on.
David Dixon
Barnstaple Pilot Gig Club CIO
Photo credit – Nick Daniel
Barnstaple Men’s A crew, from left to right:
Peter Webb
Kelly Baker (cox)
Alan Pidner
Chris Walter
Jamie Barnes
Kevin Ward
Tom Mudd