TAMAR and Tavy?s Cornish Pilot Gig Ginette travelled the length of Cornwall flashing the sponsors boards to the Live 8 audiences en route. The Ladies excelled at the Charlestown Tribute Challenge, the final starred event of the season which seeds teams in preparation for the National Newquay championships in September. The girls demonstrated their recent promotion to the first division was justified. In only their second season they looked at home with the top clubs and rowed a slick race. At this level rounding the mark proved challenging and the gig was grabbed and held by the opposition! With a fighting spirit the ladies battled down the home strait and satisfyingly overtook the cheating culprit on the line. Tamar and Tavy finished 14th overall out of 44 gigs. Closer to home TnT fielded two men?s crews and a ladies team for the Caradon regatta in Saltash but sadly were two short of a crew for the under 16?s race. All the teams got terrific starts and despite a long haul to the seaward mark against wind and tide Ginette kept up with the pack of more experienced crews. Blasting back with the tide all the crews rowed good, long, hard strokes to creep up the field with races within races and photo finishes. Recent training adjusting the stroke length to suit the conditions paid off and the men gained 8th and 6th places and the ladies an 8th. As world champions, and home team, Caradon were fielding three boats in each class so TnT were pleased with their performance. TnT recently set a challenge for the most improved performance on the rowing machine over a month ? the 5 minute challenge Notable times were achieved by some of the men reaching 1400 meters plus. But the most improved was Rookie Ruth Walker. Ruth joined the club in April. She not only built her distance by 300 meters in the challenge but has put in three creditable regatta performances. Tamar and Tavy Gig club welcomes all those who are interested in gig rowing. Ginette, the sturdy clinker built gig, will be taking part in Tavistock carnival on July 16 and a taster session is available on July 24 at Weir Quay. Contact Robin Musgrave on 841064 to book a place. For general info on gig rowing locally check out the club?s brand new website http://www.tntgc.org">www.tntgc.org for information.
