Welcome to Portishead Pilot Gig Club. We are a growing, friendly, community-based gig rowing club. We row and race traditional Cornish Pilot gigs and we cater for all types of rowers, of all ages and abilities. We are based in the sheltered waters of Portishead Quays Marina and row regularly on the tidal waters of the Bristol Channel.
Set up in 2017 by a group of experienced gig rowers, with a mission to bring the competitive, social and exciting world of gig rowing to their home town. We have grown rapidly and have a solid membership, from age 12 upwards who all enjoy both competitive and social rowing.
During the winter, we train hard both in and out of the boat and attend the North Coast Gig League to compete against our local clubs. As the spring comes around we focus our attention on the World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly and the start of the summer racing season.
We are proud to play a part in keeping this exciting and traditional sport alive, and helping to shape it’s future. We are a member of and governed by, the Cornish Pilot Gig Association.
Whilst we take our racing very seriously, we find there is nothing better than a good old BBQ on the beach; also making sure we have plenty of other social events throughout the year that friends, family and the local community can be a part of.
We are very passionate about our rowing and we want all our members to love it too, whether they want to compete to a high level or row socially. We are an inclusive, community based club, open to everyone and we put the welfare and health of our members first. We want to give our rowers every opportunity to improve, to achieve their very best and we will support them to achieve their goals. We believe in making a difference in the area we live in and encourage all our members to take an active role in the community.
We are incredibly lucky to have four boats, and love them all! Each has their own history and character.
Odessa was our very first boat, and will always have a special place in our hearts! She took our first Learn to Row through their paces and turned them into accomplished rowers. The beautiful gig has been on the gig circuit for a while, and has belonged to a range of clubs throughout the South West. She is loved by many, being the only mahogany gig in the world. We will never be able to race her, as her size doesn’t match the required specifications, but she will always be a training workhorse.
We bought Black Nore in 2018, and she is our wooden racing boat. Having bought her through a grant from Sport England, it has enabled us to compete in an increasing number of regattas. We bought her from Falmouth Gig Club where she was called Idis. She was built in 1994 by Ralph Bird.
Our first ever GRP (plastic) gig. She was built for us by Treavor Deakin and her purchase has meant we were able to increase our membership and allow the club to grow.
This GRP gig was built by Treavor Deakin in 2011. Formally named Defender, Denny was origionally owned by Plymouth University's Students Union. She came to PPGC in March 2021, when we renamed her after the Denny Shoal sandbank, which can be seen at low tide out in the Severn Eastury. Both Denny Shoal and Phoenix can be seen being rowed the length of the Marina most evenings and weekends
Gig rowing has a long history. Traditionally, gigs were rowed along the coast of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as a way of getting a pilot with local knowledge onto larger ships. The gigs were built to be fast as the first gig to reach the ship, would be paid. Gigs have not only be used for piloting, but also for lifesaving and at times, smuggling. Now, they are used in the fastest growing sport in the south west. The sport of Gig Rowing took off in the mid 1980's and now consists of over 80 clubs and has over 8000 members. The World Championships have been held on the Isles of Scilly for 30 years, and now have over 120 boat crews from around the world taking part.
Traditional Cornish Pilot Gigs are 32ft long, with 6 oars. Boats made today adhere to a traditional design and follow the lines of boats built in 1838. They take a lot of maintenance and tlc to keep them up to scratch, whilst this is hard work, it contributes to the charm of the boats and the sport.