Community rowing in the 32ft Cornish rowing gigs Belle Fast and Selkie can be enjoyed by groups or individuals. Community rows skippered by qualified volunteers are scheduled several times a week. The schedule is posted online and at the Come Boating boat shed.

The rowing season usually begins in June. Individuals can sign up at The Come Boating boat shed on the Belfast waterfront when the season starts. Community rows are generally scheduled for 6, 7 or 8 AM or 6PM. If you have a group who would like to row at any other time, call Come Boating at 207-338-3466.

Click Here to Download 2008 Rowing Schedule.

Meet at boatshed half an hour before sunset.

Gig Racing Program

Come Boating also participates in area gig and other rowing races. At the boat shed you can find information regarding our racing program. We have special rowing times for training for races. For more information call Come Boating at 207-338-3466 or gig race coordinator Malcolm Gater at 207-338-4578. Rowing times will be posted in June.

Rowing Regatta 2008

Come Boating! will host our 8th Annual Rowing Regatta on Saturday, July 26th.

All rowed or paddled craft may participate, and we especially encourage other gigs to attend. Some boats will be available to borrow, and interested rowers can also sign up to be placed on a gig team. We'll run multiple heats if necessary. Classes for all sizes of rowing dories, dinghies, etc. Adults and juniors are encouraged to participate! Tasty treat snacks will be served and awards will be presented after the races.

Registration is at 9am at the Come Boating! Boatshed at the Belfast Public Landing. Races start at 10am and continue throughout the day.

Call Come Boating Gig Racing Coordinator Malcolm Gater at 207-338-4578 for more details.

Click Here to Download 2008 Rowing Regatta Poster.

Something Special for The 2008 Rowing Regatta

As in 2007, our Rowing Regatta will be held concurrently with the National BoatBuilding Challenge - an exciting new Belfast waterfront event. In teams of 2, builders of all sorts will create 10 ft boats in 4 hours or less. The completed craft will then be raced, and prizes will be awarded in several categories. In addition to the BoatBuilding Challenge and the ComeBoating! Rowing Regatta, you can enjoy a Maine Classic Small Boats show on the waterfront, music, exhibitors and more. The event kicks off on Friday July 25th, with a lobster bake near the town landing, and continues throughout Saturday. For more info, visit the Belfast Chamber of Commerce website.

If you would like to enter your classic rowing or sailing craft in the Classic Boat Show, or if you would like to field a team for the Boatbuilding Challenge, call 207-338-3808 or email belfastmaine@verizon.net

New England Events

There are a number of rowing events in New England. Go to the Hull Lifesaving Museum calendar.

About Cornish Gigs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cornish Pilot Gig Association (or CPGA) is a body which governs the sport of Cornish pilot gig racing. As of August 2006 the association consists of 44 clubs and 115 registered gigs. This does not include gigs used in the Isles of Scilly.

History of the Cornish Pilot Gig Association

The first 'gigs' were built in the late 18th century and were used to carry the 'pilot' out to ships waiting off the Cornish coasts. The pilot would then navigate the ship through the potentially hazardous rocks into the harbour.

Pilots needed to row out to the ships quickly - it was a competitive career as the first man to reach the waiting ship would receive the pilot's fee. Gig racing evolved both from this competition and from the testing of newly-built gigs against others to measure their performance.

Competitive gig racing was popular in Cornwall during the mid 1800's, but by the end of the century began to decline as the industrial revolution gathered speed and engines increasingly replaced sails and oars.

Many gigs were subsequently broken up or left to rot, but Newquay in Cornwall managed to retain a few and formed Newquay Rowing Club in 1921.

One of their boats, 'Treffry' built in 1838 still races and is used as the standard measurement for the construction of all new boats.

Newquay Rowing Club also owns two other historic gigs: 'Dove' built in 1820 and 'Newquay' built in 1812 - which is considered to be the oldest rowing boat in the world.