IOS WPGC 2005 t-shirts are now available from Sports Mode. Brouchures for the event will be available from Wednesday 28 April.

Flushing and Mylor, two villages near Penryn, have a new gig from Swanage. The new club, F&MPGC, formed in September and has the new gig on loan from the Pinnacle Consorium. They intend to take their new gig, the “Pinnacle” to the Islands for the World Gig Championships in April/May.

The Bonnet crews were left celebrating this week when both men and ladies crews passed the finish line first.

On Wednesday the ladies crew were rowing in the Men a Vaur beating the Men a Vaur ladies in the Galetea. They were closely followed by the Slippen in the Islander and the Golden Eagle crew in the Czar.

On Friday the men’s crew were victorious in the Islander followed by the Serica crew in the Galetea, Tresco and Bryher’s Czar crew in their sister gig the Men a Vaur. In fourth place were the Men a Vaur rowers in the Dolphin followed by the Golden Eagle crew in the Bonnet. St Agnes’s Shah boys came sixth in the Golden Eagle with St Martins’s Dolphin men in the Serica. The Galetea crew followed them in the Shah before finally the Islander crew crossed the finish line in the Czar.

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.

After weeks of disruption to the gigs both races went ahead this week.

On Wednesday it was the Silver teapot trophy for the ladies from Long Crow to Tresco. Congratulations went to the Golden eagle crew who crossed the finish line first. They were followed swiftly by the Bonnet and then in third was the Men a Vaur girls from Bryher and Tresco.

Friday was another swap race from Nut Rock to St Mary?s for the men. It was a great week for St Agnes as the Shah (rowing in the Galetea) came in just behind the Bonnet who came in first rowing in the Golden Eagle.

Ladies’ Wednesday Swap 5, Nut Rock

The ladies’ Bonnet crew continued their strong season yesterday when they finished first in the Islander.

The two crews currently competing for second place in the domestic league, the Serica and Golden Eagle crews, finished second and third.

1 Islander (with the crew of the Bonnet)
2 Galatea (Serica)
3 Bonnet (Golden Eagle)
4 Dolphin (Men A Vaur)
5 Golden Eagle (Slippen)
(6 Tregarthen’s)
(7 Emperor)
8 Men A Vaur (Czar)
9 Serica (Dolphin)
10 Czar (Islander)
11 Slippen (Galatea)

- Crews are not confirmed other than first three.

Results:
1 Men A Vaur
2 Bonnet
3 Golden Eagle
4 Shah
5 Czar
6 Islander
7 Serica
8 Dolphin
9 Galatea
10 Slippen

The Scillonian Club Shield Triangle race was won by the Golden Eagle from St Mary’s.

The Bonnet came second and the Men a Vaur third.

In the swap race this week the Golden Eagle crew in the Islander came first, in second place was the Serica crew in the Shah. Coming in third place it was the St Martin’s Dolphin crew rowing in the Galatea.

The Slippen came in last although it was their first time out this season.

(Originally published on the old PilotGigs.co.uk site.)

|Notes for Coxswains|

Please remember that you are responsible for your gig and crew. The smooth running of the Championships will be greatly enhanced if all gigs are in the right place at the right in time. All gigs must assemble between the Lifeboat Station and the Scillionian Club. Gigs outside of this area will be disqualified. Please do your best to help us.

All gigs, including, Scillonian gigs, must go to Town beach to change between Mens and Ladies races, as this will avoid delays.

To help try and keep to the timetable, Ladies crews are asked to be off the beach at least half an hour before the first race of the round is due to start.

Mens crews are asked to be off the beach no more than 20 minutes after the finish of the last ladies race in that round.

All gigs must be at Nut Rock before the first race in that round can start.

Movements between rounds will be posted on blackboards on the quay and on Holgates Green. Coxswains must check these boards before each round so as to be sure of their group and berth. Gig movements between rounds will be two up and two down.

All coxswains are to hold the start line buoys to ensure a fair start. Any gig releasing the buoy without the starter’s authority and before the start flag has been dropped will be disqualified.

Should there be more than 12 gigs racing in Group E, they will join the line in positions 13, 14 etc, but not hold on to the last buoy.

In the event of fog a white speedboat will lead the race. Follow on a parallel course, not a converging course.