MANY disparate strands came together in an afternoon of glory for the Tamar and Tavy Gig Club and supporters at the Trafalgar Great River Race in London on September 17. Dubbed the Thames River Marathon, the 22 mile event attracts entrants from all over the world, more than 288 boats battled in this year?s race from Richmond to Greenwich. Crafts included dragon boats, coracles, Thames skiffs, celtic longboats as well as 28 other pilot gigs like TnT?s Ginette. In an eyepopping 2 hours 27 minutes the mixed and almost half veteran Wier Quay-based crew won its class beating all comers including the strapping young men of the Britannia Naval College. The result was achieved by tremendous team work and support from a founder of the race, John Pearce of Bere Alston; former London shipwright and builder of the club?s gig Ginette, Brian Nobbs; and crew of Sam Adlam, Julie Williams, Sean Lock, Lynn Hosking, Ian Page, Robert Dawe, Kate Reeves and Carolyn Dawe, showed that grit, cunning and training pays off. Ginette stormed down the Thames as if made for urban river racing rather than the waves of the seas of the south West. The crew expressed thanks to everyone that had helped in anyway in supporting the venture. The Tamar and Tavy Gig Club will be partaking in its last race of the season at Boscastle on Sunday, October 9. Information about the club, how to join and how to battle for a place in next year?s Great London River Race information is on the website at http://www.tntgc.org">www.tntgc.org.
