PORLOCK Weir Pilot Gig Racing Club are preparing for their biggest challenge yet when they travel to the Isles of Scilly over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend to take part in the World Pilot Gig Racing Championships, writes Richard Walsh.

A Pilot Gig is a six-oared 32 feet long rowing boat, built of wood, originally used in Cornwall as a general work boat, and for taking pilots out to vessels coming in off the Atlantic Ocean.

The Gig Racing Club in Porlock Weir was first established back in 2018 by Ben Allerton who some years earlier had spent time on the Isles of Scilly during which he had taken part and enjoyed gig racing.

After pitching his idea to a group of like-minded friends, a meeting was called attended by 30 people and the Porlock Pilot Gig Racing Club, who are sending three crews to the championships, was formed, since when they have gone from strength to strength.

After founding the club a training gig was borrowed from Boscastle Pilot Gig Club to enable potential new members to get a taste of the sport and begin on water training.

"It has just taken off from there - since when we have had new people arriving and wanting to join us even during Covid," said Ben.

"Now we have got over 40 members, two boats that we own as a result of some pretty serious fund raising. Our first boat that we bought back in 2018 was Circe and we raised £14,500 for that and then we went straight into another which was a new build boat called Goose and named after a young guy who died in his mid 20s whose nick name was The Goose, a nice way to remember him by."

He added: "We have just started our build up preparation for the World Pilot Gig Racing Championships on the Isles of Scilly at the end of April. As the nights get lighter our gig teams will be intensifying their time out on the water.

"There will be gigs from all over the world including Qatar, France and the Netherlands, and one of the races will see as many as 60 boats in the water which is a real spectacle."

To find out more about Porlock Weir Gig Racing Club please log onto www.porlockweirgigclub.co.uk. check out their Instagram or Facebook pages or call Ben Allerton on 07479 717497.