Pilot Gigs Today
Today, pilot gigs are used primarily for sport, with around 100 clubs across the globe. The main concentration is within Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, however clubs exist in Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Wales and London. Internationally there are pilot gig clubs in France, the Netherlands, the Faroe Islands, Australia and the USA.
All modern racing gigs are based on the "Treffry", built in 1838 by William Peters of St. Mawes, and still owned and raced by the Newquay Rowing Club. However non-racing gigs have been built which do not conform to the exact specification of the Treffry and are disallowed from racing in competitive races.
The sport is governed by the Cornish Pilot Gig Association, which monitors all racing gigs during the construction phase. The Association's Standards Officer is responsible for measuring every gig at least three times during construction, to ensure that it conforms to the Standard set by the Association.
The 100th gig, built for the Bude Gig Club by Ralph Bird was launched during the summer of 2005.
Currently there are 128 gigs on the CPGA register of gigs, this does not include the Isles of Scilly. The most recent being 'Tamar' of the Tamar Tavy Club, but by the end of 2008 there will be 131 gigs with an additional three gigs that are currently under construction now - Ilfracombe, Lyme Regis and Mevagissey.
Read more about this topic: Cornish Pilot Gig
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