Winter training for this Cornish Pilot Gig crew.

A Cornish Pilot Gig is a six oared rowing boat, 32 feet long with a beam of four feet ten inches.

The gigs were used to take the pilots out to incoming ships from the Atlantic. In those days the gigs would race to be the first to get their pilot on board the vessel and thus earn the fee.

Today, gig racing is for sport with over a 100 clubs around the world, but mainly centred on Cornwall and the Scilly Isles.The world championships are held each tear in early in May on Scilly Isles.

This boat is named after Ann Glanville of Saltash, mother of fourteen children, who took over her husband's boat and worked as a waterman to support her family when he fell ill.

She then formed an all women crew who competed in local regattas wearing white caps and dresses.






Their success led to competitions all over the country, including one in Fleetwood, attended by Queen Victoria, who congratulated Ann when her crew beat the all male favourites.
Their most famous victory was in 1833 in Le Harvre, France, where they beat the ten best French male crews by 100 yards.