Gig Racing

At Brixham.
Went for a walk in Brixham today. The breakwater beach was being used as the  base  for a gig racing competition organised by the Brixham club. It was looking like rain then.
A gig is a six-oar rowing boat, 32 feet (9.8 m) long with a beam of 4 feet 10 inches (1.47 m). It is recognised as one of the first shore-based lifeboats that went to vessels in distress, with recorded rescues going back as far as the late 17th century. The original purpose of the Cornish pilot gig was as a general work boat, and the craft is used as a  pilot boat, taking pilotsout to incoming vessels off the Atlantic Coast. At the time pilots would compete between each other for work; the fastest gig crew who got their pilot on board a vessel first would get the job, and hence the payment.


It was sunny when I had a coffee at the Berry Head Hotel from where I could see the boats., before walking up to Berry Head. It was a lovely morning. Jacqui was at Clennon Lakes cleaning out the weirs.