Race Reports | Tamar & Tavy Gig Club

T&T Regatta 2013

On Saturday 21^st September, Tamar & Tavy Gig Club held their annual regatta at Weir Quay. It was a fantastic day of rowing, and was well supported by local clubs, with teams entering from Cotehele, Cattewater and Rame. Tamar & Tavy laid on a bbq, cake stall, tombola and raffle which kept the teams and their many supporters fed and watered throughout the day. The event proved also to be well supported by local residents, and it was fantastic to have such a crowd to cheer the crews on, both from the shore and out on boats which added to the racing atmosphere.

The racing began with the epic Brunel Trophy, a handicapped race where the teams rowed down to the Brunel Bridge and back. This was a hard 6 mile race, coinciding with slack water and some strong winds which made it a battle for the crews competing. Cattewater came through victorious in the end with Tamar & Tavy finishing in fourth after being overtaken by Cotehele men in the final stretch! The shorter sprint races followed this, which proved hard races for all competing, especially those who had already rowed in the Brunel race! The course went down towards the Tavy and round a buoy, which, thanks to the tide being one of the biggest of the year, made for some tricky bouy turns! Some strong rowing led to wins for Cattewater in the Mens, Tamar & Tavy in the Ladies and Rame in the Super-vets. The day ended with Barbarians races where the junior rowers were also able to join in the fun. Rowers from all the clubs entered, making for some fantastic scenes as the teams pulled together for a final row. All in all a brilliant day was had by all, and Tamar & Tavy would like to thank all the clubs that competed and all the spectators for their support and encouragement.

Great London River Race 2013

On Saturday 7^th September, Tamar & Tavy Gig Club entered a mixed vets crew into The Great London River Race. 324 boats took part in the race, and the T&T crew were one of 32 Cornish pilot gigs competing. The race began at London Docklands amidst a carnival atmosphere, and the boats rowed up the Thames through central London, passing under Tower Bridge, past the Houses of Parliament, up through Putney and Richmond and ending at Ham in Surrey – a total of 21 miles of racing which made for a very competitive atmosphere. The T&T crew was formed of Carolyn Dawe and Chris Dill who shared the coxing, Lynn Renton, Johnny Rogers, Simon Howes, Martin Painter, Wendy Maclean and Sandra Anstey. They had a fantastic row, enduring only minor scuffles and some clashing of oars as they went through the bridges, and completed the course with a time of 2:45:06. This placed them 142^nd out of the 324 boats competing and 12^th out of the 32 pilot gigs – a brilliant result, especially as they were the last gig to start. All in all it was a great day on the water, and well worth the blisters!

Ladies Newquay County Champs 2013

On Saturday 31^st August Tamar & Tavy Gig Club Ladies A team travelled to Newquay for the Ladies County Gig Championships, competing in a line up of 90 crews. The conditions proved to be extremely challenging, with a delay to the start due to rough seas, but there was a sense of relief and a big cheer when the umpires decided to go ahead and the racing began! The T&T Ladies were drawn in heat 14, by which time conditions had worsened considerably, making for a tense wait and lots of nerves, but it was great to finally get out on the seas. The team, formed of Sandra Anstey, Meg Keegan, Katie Turner, Lyn Renton, Sarah Gall and Nicky Evans battled large swells and white horses and had a very challenging race, but thanks to some truly amazing coxing from Jo Cameron, made it round the course in just over 21 minutes. Unfortunately we did not make it through to the next round of the competition, coming 58^th overall, but headed home proud of our achievements and having successfully taken on the waves!

Tamar & Tavy Gig Club Ladies A team, Nicky Evans, Sarah Gall, Lyn Renton, Katie Turner, Meg Keegan and Sandra Anstey at the Newquay County Championships

U14s Champs 2013

The best under 14s rowing teams from the southwest met in Hayle on Sunday 25th August 2013 to fight for the crown of County Champion, and with over 28 teams attending it was a tough contest. Tamar & Tavy Gig Club entered a new crew, formed of Earthen Lamerton, Will Gardener, Cameron Mc kie, Ben Luke, James Lewis and Elliot Overall who had been training together since May. On their first race they picked up a buoy lane marker which slowed them down and meant they dropped behind the other gigs. Fortunately they were allowed to re-run the race against the clock, and they set a blistering time that put them through to the next round. In all they rowed 4 races, taking them through to the semi-finals where they finished 7^th overall, a really brilliant result! Coxswain Bill Stacey-Norris said “I’m very proud of what they have achieved, they show so much potential for next season”.

U14s team: Earthen Lamerton, Will Gardener, Cameron Mc kie, Ben Luke, James Lewis and Elliot Overall

Tamar Challenge 2103

Tamar & Tavy Gig Club enjoyed a fantastic day of rowing at the Tamar Challenge on Sunday 18^th July, entering a Ladies and a Men’s crew to race the 9 miles up the Tamar from the Tamar Bridge to Cotehele Quay. The challenge was hosted by Cotehele Quay Gig Club, and was very well organised and a great day out. Weather conditions were perfect, which was a welcome relief for the crews who enjoyed the calm waters and sunny weather.

The race handicaps meant that the T&T Ladies crew were the first to leave the start line amidst cheers from the waiting crews and spectators. The crew, formed of Lyn Renton, Carolyn Dawe, Katie Turner, Mel Cotton, Helen Samson-Hill and Julie Eastaugh had a storming first leg up to Weir Quay where they were finally overtaken by Rock Ladies vets who went on to win. They maintained their speed and with some strong rowing and fantastic coxing from Tricia Stewart held second place all the way up the river, only to be taken by Falmouth Men’s B and Caradon Men on the 2^nd to last bend. This was a fantastic result for our Ladies who came 4^th out of the 12 crews with a time of 1 hour 14 minutes.

T&T Ladies Tamar Challenge crew: Helen Samson-Hill, Carolyn Dawe, Mel Cotton, Katie Turner, Tricia Stewart (cox), Lynn Renton and Julie Eastaugh

T&T Ladies Tamar Challenge crew: Helen Samson-Hill, Carolyn Dawe, Mel Cotton, Katie Turner, Tricia Stewart (cox), Lyn Renton and Julie Eastaugh

The T&T Men’s crew, formed of Martin Painter, James Roobottom, Rob Dawe, Dan Highscapes, Ian King, and John Rogers also had a great race. They enjoyed the good conditions, and some excellent rowing and great coxing from Chris Dill meant that they came home in 1hr 10mins. All rowed hard, and enjoyed the race. Supporter numbers were high which added to the atmosphere and gave the crews a much needed boost as they came into the final stages of the race. Many thanks go to Cotehele Quay Gig Club for organising a fantastic event and providing such a good day out.

Salcombe Regatta 2013

Tamar & Tavy Gig Club had another successful weekend of racing, entering a Ladies A, Mens A and Mens Super-vets team at the Salcombe Regatta on Sunday 23^rd June. The Ladies A team, formed of Lynn Renton, Charity Philips, Heidi Brodribb, Katie Turner, Julie Rendle and Julie Eastaugh and coxed by Jo Cameron battled tough winds, a strong tide and large swells in their group race. They had a fantastic start, immediately pulling away from the pack, and some brilliant coxing from Jo Cameron brought them around the course holding their position and coming home in first place. An amazing result, and brilliant rowing from all!

The winning Ladies A Team: Julie Eastaugh, Katie Turner, Julie Rendle, Jo Cameron (cox), Lynn Renton, Heidi Brodribb and Charity Phillips

The Men’s A team, formed of David Auborn, Ian King, Simon Howes, Peter Clarke, Matt Pinney and Euan Roxborough rowed strongly, and also had a great race, with some fantastic coxing from Mike Vosper in challenging conditions. The Men’s Supervets then raced on, with some of the A team digging deep and rowing again in this race. The team consisted of David Auborn, Rob Mackintosh-Smith, Peter Clarke, Simon Howes, Alastair Monteath and Mike Vosper. The team had to battle wind and tide, but some hard rowing and determination and some great coxing from Tricia Stewart bought them to the strong finish.

Thanks go to all involved for another brilliant day of rowing and some great Tamar & Tavy team spirit.

Mixed & Vets Champs 2013

Tamar and Tavy Gig Club enjoyed a successful weekend on the 15th & 16th June 2013 at the Mixed and Veterans Championships hosted by Caradon Gig Club in Saltash. We entered a Mixed, a Mixed Super Vets and a Juniors (under 16) team on Saturday and a Ladies Super Vets team on Sunday. Despite the weather conspiring against us, with strong winds making conditions particularly challenging, spirits were high and the crews were determined to succeed, as always.

The Mixed team formed of Heidi Brodribb, Tim Brodribb, Mark Turner, Dan High, Sarah Gall and Charity Philips had a strong first heat, coming third out of four and qualifying for a place in quarter finals thanks to some strong rowing and great coxing by Katie Turner. They then battled it out in a tough quarter final heat against some of the top clubs and unfortunately narrowly missed out on a place in the semi finals, but finished within the top half of the crews, and with the satisfaction of knowing it was a job well done.

Mixed team at Saltash Regatta 2013: Dan High, Mark Turner, Tim Brodribb, Katie Turner (cox), Heidi Brodribb, Charity Philips and Sarah Gall

The Mixed Super Vet crew, coxed by Becky Masters and formed of Penny Twine, Christine Roberts, Karen Auborn, David Auborn, Ian King and Simon Howes had a tough first heat but rowed superbly and qualified for the Plate final. Here they rowed a strong race, and with some great coxing from Becky came home in fourth, another brilliant result! Bill Stacey-Norris coxed a very strong and determined Juniors team, who got through their first heat into the finals where some brilliant rowing earned them 5^th place.

Sunday brought even tougher conditions, with crews having to battle both wind and rain. T & T Ladies Super Vets weren’t put off though, entering a strong crew; Carolyn Dawe, Julie Rendle, Lynn Renton, Mel Cotton, Julie Eastaugh and Helen Samson-Hill who had a fantastic first heat, with some excellent coxing from Rob Dawe resulting in them coming 2^nd and earning them a place in the final. Here they fought hard, overtaking one boat and coming close to taking a second, finishing the race in 4^th place. A fantastic weekend was had by all!

London River Race 2012

Saturday 7th September saw three teams from Tamar & Tavy Gig Club in their Cornish Pilot Gigs, Belinda O’Flynn, Tamar & Ginette at the annual Great London River Race. A junior team of under 14’s; a ladies super vets squad and a men’s crew, aged 17 to 75! Having trained hard over preceding months, coping with last minute injuries, drafting in of a replacement coxswain for the ladies, not to mention the logistics of just getting there, all were up, out of their tents for the 0630 start to a very long and exciting day. For over 20 miles the 319 boats entered, race from Milwall to Richmond, navigating the numerous number of bridges across the river. The weather, much improved from last year with a mixture of sun & cloud and ambient temperature, saw a strong head wind and tide providing for a demanding race.

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Rock Regatta

LONDON RIVER RACE REPORT

Getting on the water was the primary challenge and the help rendered to others, by the Tamar men’s crew, made them last on the water and a 6 minute adjustment to their final time. At the start some support boats hindered the participants among them our ladies in Ginette who also had a collision with a dragon boat – that craft suffered a broken oar as a result of their actions. Despite this Ginette got a flying start but later on in the race she was undercut by a large whaler at one of the bridges and gigs they had been in front of overtook them and they never quite regained their placing. Tamar had an ongoing battle with 2 other gigs, ‘Water Witch’ and ‘Cream of Cornwall’ throughout the race. Belinda O’Flynn with our indomitable juniors, made steady progress through the myriad of boats; blisters and periods of heat proved to be their immediate rivals.

Tamar & Tavy Juniors crew

Tamar crossed the line at the 3 hour mark; Ginette was a few minutes later and the juniors came in at the 4 hour point. Notwithstanding the bumps, blisters, sore backs and tiredness, all achieved something incredible and no doubt had much to talk about in The Swan, where a well earned feed and a cleansing ale/lemonade was had. A brilliant effort by everyone involved; rowers, towers, supporters and parents.

Champs at Saltash

Tamar and Tavy Gig Club won the Ladies Super Vets Championships at Saltash adding another trophy to the clubs cabinet.

The ladies gave their all and rowed a brilliant race. Their total commitment showed when, after a shaky start, they pulled through the whole pack and held lead position for most of the race. Defending champions, Dart who have won this championship for the last two years, were on their tail all the way but T & T Cox, Carolyn Dawe, asked for more and the team responded, pulling away from Dart when it mattered most and were able to raise their oars aloft in victory on the finishing line.

The crew were Jo Cameron, Ruth Walker, Julie Eastaugh, Lyn Renton, Viv Barnes and Julie Rendle and they should all feel really proud of this incredible achievement.

The club also sent three other crews to the regatta: A Men’s Super vets team which included 3 rowers who had rowed to the Eddystone Lighthouse only last week; the Ladies Vets who got through the first heat to finish a close 2nd in the Plate Semi final and an Under 16s team who got through to the final where they achieved overall position of 6th and importantly beat a team from Caradon who always put out top crews. The under 16’s were Megan Haynes-Parry rowing stroke, Caitlin Haynes-Parry, Amber Friendship, Charlie Fethney, George Masters and Rosie Lloyd who all worked really well together pushing the boat in front all the way with coxes Bill Stacey-Norris and Paula Haynes-Parry keeping them out of trouble. The youngster’s oarsman ship was commented on favourably by the hosts, Caradon, and as always they were a real credit.

Rock Regatta 2011

Tamar and Tavy Gig Club took 8 crews to Rock Regatta on Sunday and came away with some excellent results particularly in the junior section of the club.

The regatta was held at the beautiful Daymer Bay with crews rowing from the beach out round two buoys at the Doom Bar and back to the beach. The setting was absolutely stunning, made even more so by the beautiful sunny day. There was an off shore wind which made rowing the last leg hard going and with quite a lot of surf getting on and off the beach was quite hairy at times.

First off were the Ladies and then Mens Vets crews. Both crews had members rowing their first race giving them invaluable experience competing in sea conditions. The boats were with the main packs all the way and had really good races.

Next out were the Under 14s with Fen Eastaugh, Rosie Lloyd, Megan Haynes-Parry, Charlie Fethney, Ollie Wood and Angus Hogg. Although they had a bad start all rowed a brilliant race finishing in a fantastic 3rd position. With two fairly new rowers this really was an excellent result.

So many juniors wanted to row in this regatta that four other under 14s, Anya Anstey, Freya Novak, Caitlin Haynes-Parry and Vicky Fethney got together with 2 rowers from Cotehele Quay and formed another crew. This boat also did really well and again provided all the rowers with good experience of sea conditions. Sam Lloyd also stepped up to help a crew from another club who were short of a rower although he hadn’t planned on rowing at all.

The Under 16s race was next and T & T crew Amber Friendship, Miles Eastaugh, George Masters, Fran Kelly, Alice Kalninis and Drew Mortimore, coxed by Paula Haynes-Parry had an excellent race battling with another boat for 2nd place towards the end. They couldn’t quite hold them off so also finished in brilliant 3rd position.

The Ladies A race went off in two heats and the T & T crew were 9th overall out of 17, the ladies B crew were 13th out of 21. The Mens B crew, after having a serious battle on the buoy involving broken thole pins, were also 13th.

The biggest surprise of the day was in the last race. A boat comprising ladies and men were sent out to take part in the mixed race but after leaving the beach they discovered it was actually a novelty race which involved leaping out of the boat at the end, running up the beach with half the crew carrying the other half. For the rest of the club watching it was, needless to say, hilarious but they took it in good part with hardly any injuries!

All these results were fantastic but particular mention must be made of the clubs junior section who not only performed brilliantly but also really enjoyed themselves in the surf and on the beach all day.

The coxes did a great job as always, Bill Stacey-Norris, Tricia Stewart, Paula Haynes-Parry and Nicky Sellers. Mike Vosper once again towed the gig down the narrow lanes and the supporters also did a great job especially the youngsters leaping up and down in the surf shouting encouragement to the crews.

A great day was had by all.

Tamar and Tavy will be holding their own regatta on Saturday 27th August at Weir Quay. There will be a barbecue and evening entertainment and everyone is welcome.

The club welcome new members with sessions to suit everyone from purely social rowing to training for competition and also junior sessions on a Friday night which often involve a barbecue. All ages are welcome with the current membership ranging from 10 years old to rowers in their 70s.

T&T Regatta 2011

Tamar and Tavy Gig Club hosted their second regatta on Saturday. The rain held off and despite the chilly wind everything went smoothly and all crews enjoyed themselves. The barbecue fed everyone all afternoon and the cake stall with the most fantastic display of cakes baked by club members kept energy levels topped up.Visiting crews were from Salcombe Gig Club with their boat Bolt and local rivals Cotehele Quay with their boats Zeus and Cream of Cornwall.

The first race which opened the regatta was gruelling 7 mile slog from Weir Quay to the Brunel Bridge and back taking over an hour. The crews were handicapped according to age so the T & T ladies in Tamar went off first and were followed and fairly quickly overtaken by the ladies in Bolt. The Salcombe crew were, in fact, in the lead for over half the race but were then taken by the young men from Cotehele Quay in Cream of Cornwall. The end results was Cream of Cornwall 1st, 2nd place Bolt and in 3rd place the mixed crew from Tamar and Tavy in Ginette.

The vets race was next, a shorter course but keenly fought. The Salcombe ladies in Bolt had a good start and got an early lead. Tamar and Tavy ladies in Ginette, after a difficult start, pulled through past the men in Cream of Cornwall and the T & T mixed crew in Tamar, trying hard to catch Bolt. The pull down to the buoys at the Saltash side of Cargreen seemed a long row but Ginette gradually began to close on Bolt though finally losing to the Salcombe crew by a couple of boat lengths. Finishing places were Bolt in 1st place with Ginette 2nd then Cream of Cornwall and Tamar.

The hotly contested Juniors race was next with a straight race from Cargreen back up to Weir Quay. Tamar and Tavy entered two crews with both boats rowing cracking races to come in first and second places. The junior section of the club has had an absolutely fantastic season this year with their commitment and enjoyment of the sport reaping rewards.

The last race of the day was the Barbarian race which despite being a more fun event is still keenly fought over. All clubs fielded completely mixed crews with juniors, ladies and men all rowing in the same boats. Cotehele Quay rowing in Cream of Cornwall came 1st overall and was able to celebrate some really good results during the afternoon.

At the end of the day, Tricia Stewart, club Chairman, thanked visiting crews for helping to make the regatta a success and then introduced Bob Turner, one of the clubs founder members, who kindly presented the prizes.

It was all hands on deck to get the gigs out of the water and back onto the trailers ready for the homeward journeys. The raffle then took place and with such a vast array of gifts on offer took some time to complete.

The day was a great success enjoyed by all.

T&T Success in the IOS

Chilly weather on Friday, heavy sea swell on Saturday and perfect conditions on Sunday, set the scene for the World Gig Championships. All the crews sent from this Bere Peninsula club, showed huge amounts of grit, determination, and sheer ‘Grunt,’ especially when asked by their coxes for more!

The seeding races took place on the Saturday morning, were long and hard but this grouped the boats fairly, according to ability. All the races were hard fought, throughout the weekend and not without incidence. Oars were seen to clash on more than one occasion!

The club was represented by a fantastic combination of age and experience (the average age being late thirties/forties), old hands and debutants. The results achieved were the culmination of solid, consistent training throughout the winter months, great personal commitment and outstanding support from family, friends and the wider club community.

Ladies Group I Winners: coxed by Bill Stacey-Norris, Viv Barnes (stroke), Tricia Stewart (5), Julie Rendle (4), Nicky Evans (3), Fizz Ward (2), Helen Samson-Hill (1)

Ladies Group I Winners:
coxed by Bill Stacey-Norris, Viv Barnes, Tricia Stewart, Julie Rendle, Nicky Evans, Fizz Ward, Helen Samson-Hill

The results:

Ladies Veterans (A), 21st of 53;
Ladies Supervets (B) were 5th;
Men’s Veterans, 23rd of 48;
Ladies (A), 66th of 125;
Men’s (A), 2nd in their group final, 62nd of 120 overall;
Ladies (B), 109 of 125, group I winners, trophy holders and pictured above; coxed by Bill Stacey-Norris, Viv Barnes (stroke), Tricia Stewart (5), Julie Rendle (4), Nicky Evans (3), Fizz Ward (2), Helen Samson-Hill (1).

All of which continues to demonstrate a local club going from strength to strength and looking forward to the rest of the 2012 season!

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