Padstow has a rich and spiritual connection to the sea and Padstow Rowing Club is part of that legacy. The very root of gig rowing was born in Padstow with the first gig ever built, by the Peters family of Polvarth, St Mawes, becoming the first Padstow lifeboat.
As far back as the late 1700s, each yard had their own gig; Rawle’s had the gig “Vixen”, Dennis Cove had “Constance”, Lower Yard had “Peace”, Cowl’s had “Hero”, while Rawle’s “Teazer” was stored on davits outside the Custom’s House. When a sailing vessel appeared at the mouth of the estuary the race was on. The first gig to reach the vessel would win the tender and secure the trade for their yard, guiding the ship in past the treacherous Doom Bar and into the safe haven of the Camel estuary.
As merchant ships reduced in number, the sporting culture of gig rowing endured and competitive racing grew in popularity. Gig racing was enormously popular until the turn of the century but found new vigour in the 1950s and once again became a popular sport in the South West.
On 26 October 1956 Zelda and Gipsy were formally handed over to the Padstow Regatta Committee by the chairwoman of the Padstow Regatta Ladies Guild (who had been formed to raise money for the gigs). Racing occurred throughout the following summer by both men and womens crew with visiting crews from Newquay and other areas. Many Padstow people remember Gipsy as being a Padstow gig during the fifties. The Padstow Rowing Club as it is recognised today was resurrected in 1987 and in 1989, Dasher Reveley, a Padstow fisherman and boat builder, built our flagship “Dasher”.
Other Padstow gigs from this era include Arrow, Storm, Dauntless, Gazelle, Rescue, Rival, Victor, Victoria and Warspite.
With its revival, Padstow Rowing Club grew quickly and the competitive, fun and friendly atmosphere that it is known for today was quickly established.
History
The late, great Major Hugo White was a founding member of Padstow Gig Club and a dear friend to us all.
Pictured here at the launch of Arrow in 2022, Hugo's speech perfectly personified the club ethos: "Friendship, Camaraderie and Fun".
We strive to reflect this at all times and have honoured Hugo's memory with dedicating the award for our inter club Doom Bar summer races to him.
Major Hugo White
Dear Sean,
I am left without adequate words to thank you and all the members of Padstow Rowing Club for giving me such a memorable birthday celebration on Saturday. It was an occasion which I will always treasure. To persuade twenty-eight members to turn up at 8:30am on a week-end morning demonstrates a spirit of camaraderie which should be the envy of all clubs. Could you please thank everybody for the warmth and kindness that they showed me.
Organising such an event is a feat in itself, and I know the dedicated planning that you personally put into ensure success. Your attention to a thousand and one details makes your achievement all the more memorable. You are a true leader. How lucky we are to have someone of your energy as a chairman.
In the very early days of the club, a certain pessimistic Padstonian (who shall remain nameless professed to me that like all such organisations in the town, we would give it six month before enthusiasm wained and the boat, her paint peeling, would be left to rot. How utterly wrong some people can be! To see the immaculate state of all our four boats is to realise how the club has grown in strength and dedication, becoming a major part of Padstow's social life.
To you all many, many thanks for affording me so much pleasure and friendships over the years.
Yours, Hugo