11th May 2011

LYME REGIS: 'Laughing, aching and feelinig alive' in an exhilarating series of races

By Marcus Dixon

Lyme Regis Gig Club travelled out to The Isles of Scilly to compete in the 22nd Pilot Gig Championships over the May Bank Holiday, racing against 130 boats representing south west seafaring towns and villages.

The event brings together teams from the semi-professional to the amateur, from the young, muscular and fit to the rather older and less streamlined to battle through the, often rough, waters off England’s rocky western coast for the most highly prized gig trophies.

The evening of Friday, April 29th saw the first Veterans’ Races, for those over 40, staged over the 1.59 nautical miles of squally sea from St Agnes to St Mary’s Quay. First away were the 52 gigs comprising ladies crews and Lyme Regis Gig Club had two teams in the starting line up.

After a hard fought race the A team in Black Ven came in 45th and the B Crew a close 47th.

Competing next were the Men’s Veterans who raced with 64 boats over the same course, with Lyme represented by three crews. The Lyme Regis Veterans Men’s A team achieved an impressive 15th with the B team 24th and the C team bringing up the rear in 65th place.

The main events at the championships were the four gruelling races held over the Saturday and Sunday in steadily deteriorating weather, under a grey sky and in choppy seas.

Ladies and later the men followed each other to row out to the starter’s line for their first races, both of which saw 124 gigs competing over the St Agnes to St Mary’s course in a rolling swell and high winds. On crossing the finishing line of the first race the competitors were then sub divided by their placing into divisions of around 12 evenly matched gigs.

Each division then competed in three following shorter races held over the 1.16 nautical miles from Nut Rock to St Mary Quay. The winning two gigs in each of the first two short events went up to the next level and the last two dropped down and the championship prizes were awarded following the final races.

The ladies were first to row out to the start line with Lyme Gig Club’s A Team racing Black Ven and the B Team in Rebel. The championship competition was fierce not least between the competitive Lyme teams who after the flag dropped fought it out between themselves and the rest. After the long race the two Lyme ladies teams were both in Division F where they continued to battle it out, with the B Team being ahead in one race, but the duel being finished off in fine style by the A’s who won the final race, which saw them on the podium taking the divisional prize.

The ladies event saw 124 gigs competing with Lyme A Team coming in 61st and the B Crew 67th, 45 places up from their 2010 placing.
The men’s event was also closely contested with Lyme’s A Team in Black Ven being ceded in Division D and finishing a fine 42nd up 23 places from the previous year and the town’s B Team finishing 91st.

The winners of this year’s Pilot Gig Championships were the brilliant teams from Falmouth who carried off both the ladies and men’s winners trophies.

Each year the Isles of Scilly stage a remarkable championship that sees hundreds of people pitching their skill, courage and determination at sea with long oars and in beautiful traditional pilot gigs to be part of a team, to do their best and see how good they can be. It’s a fantastic, exhilarating, punishing series of races that leaves you laughing, aching and feeling alive. Lyme Regis Gig Club is planning to do even better next year. Take a look at www.lymeregisgigclub.com if you’d like to join us.

Ladies A Team: Jackie O’Leary, Michelle Prosser, Deb Hunt, Dawn Hunt, Sue Beckers, Karen Tomkins Cox: Henry Barlow
Ladies B Team: Kerry McGuire, Jackie Ireland, Bridget Pocock, Diana Dixon, Gail McGarva, Janet Tristram Cox: Rex Ireland
Ladies A Veterans: Alison Robinson, Diana Dixon, Beverly Bailey, Suzanne Spurdle, Mandy Maine, Jo Schmidt Cox: Andy Schmidt
Ladies B Veterans: Kerry McGuire, Karen Hull, Jackie O’Leary, Michelle Prosser, Nicky Moore, Yvonne Sterry, Cox: Marcus Dixon
Mens A Team (+Vets) Chris Walters, Henry Barlow, Neil Spurdle, Cam Short, Ben Short Cox; Rex Ireland
Mens B Team (+Vets) Andy Schmidt, Brian Fletcher, Elliot Dale, Neil Spurdle, Paul Dyer, Tony Short, Cox: Rex Ireland
Mens Vets C Team: Marcus Dixon, Rob Prosser, Dave Gowney, Andrew Pocock, Chris Waller, John Stork Cox: Lis Harden