Gig rowers and islanders flocked to Fraggle Rock this week to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Bryher and Tresco gig Czar.
Rowers from past and present were treated to a barbecue and face painting. A band made up of teenagers from Bryher and Tresco also played.
Charlie Bennett, who works at Fraggle Rock, told Scilly News: “It was a really great day. Loads of people turned up from all over Scilly. The music was fantastic and there was a great atmosphere.”
The Czar as well as the Men a Vaur is rowed every week in gig races. But the boat has made up a large part of Scilly’s history. It has assisted many shipwrecks on the islands. On 27 October 1927, the SS Isabo struck Scilly Rock in fog. Islanders on Bryher heard the ship’s siren and rowed the Czar from Great Porth to Scilly Rock. The boat had broken in two and many of the men were in the water clinging to timber. The Czar helped to save many of the men
Of all the ‘Isabo’s 38 crew from Italy and Estonia 28 men were rescued by the Czar and other boats.