Lewes Pilot Gig Club
NEWS
EEL PIE ISLAND JUNE 2022
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Lewes had two crews entered for the Eel Pie Island competition at Richmond on Thames on the 4th June 2022. A complete entry of 14 crews included strong opposition from London Cornish, Brixham and Lyme Regis for the races on the Thames which were in the form of time trials. In a final round of the fastest crews Lewes' A crew came 4th overall. It was a fine performance on another great day of rowing. Hopefully London Cornish, the hosts will repeat the event in the future.
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THAMES PRE-BOAT RACE
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On Sunday 3rd April 2022, prior to the Oxford-Cambridge boat race, a gig race was held on the same Putney to Chiswick course. The race which was for mixed crews was won by a team from lewes rowing Taran to a comfortable victory. The crew of Ian, Dan, Tim, Esmo, Rebecca and Kathie and coxed by Mike received splendid medals for their efforts. The day started on a frosty morning in Richmond and a delivery crew rowed up to Chiswick where the racing crew took the gig to the start line in Putney and raced back to Chiswick. The day was completed by another delivery crew rowing Taran back to Richmond. A memorable day.
APPLEDORE SUPER VETS COMPETTION
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Congratulations to the mens super vets who travelled down to north Devon and won the Plate on the 26th March 2022
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SEEGL AT HAYLING ISLAND
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The third SEEGL regatta was held on 1st February 2020 at Hayling Island, hosted by Eastney Cruising Association.
Highlight of the day was the mens super vets romping home in the second race, featuring some splendid "oar flipping".
The location and the set up for the regatta were excellent, and the event saw first SEEGL appearances for Langstone PGC, teams from the Royal Navy, as well as the hosts ECA.
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LEWES PILOT GIG CLUB CONFIRMED FULL MEMBERS OF THE CORNISH PILOT GIG ASSOCIATION
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At the CPGA Annual General Meeting at Saltash on 19th January 2020, Lewes Pilot Gig Club were ratified as full members of the CPGA and given the membership number 85. Ratification was possible following the arrival of our wooden gig, Irene, in the summer, completing the CPGA requirement of ownership of a wooden gig. We will be taking Irene to the Isles of Scilly in May 2020 for the world championships.
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RACING AT THE POND
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It was a great disappointment that the second SEEGL regatta on 18th January 2020 at Richmond hosted by London Cornish PGC had to be cancelled. The River Thames was flowing too strongly following heavy rains. Instead crews took to the water at Piddinghoe to race against each other in Billy and Walter. Much tea was drunk.
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OUR FIRST SOUTH EAST OF ENGLAND
LEAGUE REGATTA
On 4 November 2019 we hosted our inaugural South of England League Regatta at Bewl Water in Kent.
Four local clubs competed and we came third overall, winning one race and coming second in another.
Gary Budd, founder of Lewes Pilot Gig Club summed up the day perfectly: "It was an incredible event for our rowers, with new members experiencing the very best side of the sport - the emotion, the excitement of winning and the camaraderie when crews have trained and give it their all together."
WALTER AT THE POND
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Walter Hicks arrived at the club in September 2019 as part of the CPGA's "Club in a Box" scheme to help fledgling gig clubs to get going. The gig is named after the founder of St Austell Brewery who sponsor the scheme. Korev, which is discretely written on the side is the brewery's lager. Walter will be with us for a year.
SATURDAY LIVE
Gary Budd, founder, wowed audiences on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live, and interest in the club spiked at the beginning of January. You can catch the show here.
CLUB POETRY
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Check out the first poem about our club written by resident rowing poet, Mike Bell.
Read by cox Gary Budd. It'll make your heart sing
TELLING OUR STORY
​BBC South East came along to Piddinghoe last month to check out our brand new club with big ambitions. Reporter Charlie Rose led the stroke and caught the Gig Rowing bug. And there's more: Our Glorious Leader, Chairman Gary Budd was on Radio 4's Saturday Live on January 5th.