Dart Gig Waverley Race Press Release 2024
In what promises to be a hotly fought 2,600 metre race out to the world’s oldest sea-going paddle steamer, the PS Waverley, and as part of the upcoming Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta celebrations, with the support of Dart Harbour, Dart Gig Club will be joined by clubs from Teignmouth, Fowey and Newquay – towns where each of the four authorised Dartmouth pilots live. The pilots, Rich Eggleton (Dart), Kevin Clifton (Teign), Will Mitchell (Fowey) and Steve Woodfindern (Newquay) will all sit in the bows of their respective gigs as they race to glory.
Local gig clubs are set to bring the past alive at Dartmouth Regatta where rival crews will recreate a centuries old pilot gig race out to a magnificent heritage ship anchored off the mouth of the River Dart.
Hundreds of years ago pilot gigs built on the river banks formed the everyday working lifeblood of trade and transport on the river. Each boat was built to be faster than its rivals as crews raced to reach the merchant ships sailing into the river and navigate the vessels safely into port to secure work unloading cargo.
