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Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 10:30
GIG rowers recreating an historic journey in one of the oldest racing vessels in the world – in a bid to raise funds for a Cornish children's charity – yesterday beat a long-standing record by knocking two hours off the 37-mile journey time from Tresco to Penzance.
Today they will be breaking a further record by being the first Scillonian crew to row all the way back to the isles again, this time against wind and wave.
And the entire round journey is being rowed in an ancient racing gig called the Czar which first went to sea in 1879.
The previous record of nine hours and 47 minutes had stood for four long decades – no crew from the Isles of Scilly has rowed from Tresco to Penzance since the summer of 1968.
But in moderate conditions yesterday a mixed male crew from the islands of Tresco and Bryher rowed the same journey in just seven hours and 45 minutes.
"We are absolutely delighted and a little exhausted," commented crew member James Stedeford on his arrival in Penzance at 2.45 yesterday afternoon.
"We were hoping to beat the old record but we didn't want to get too carried away.
"The winds died off, but there was a big swell coming in off the Atlantic," he added. "However, it was helping us – to be honest Land's End was the worst bit – the waves are always a bit sloppy there.
"The worst part was stopping – now we've got out of the gig everything is seizing up a bit," James told the WMN. "We're pretty tired – there are a few aches and pains – especially in hands and bums.
"We'll be staying the night and setting off at 7am for the return leg, which is going to be tough.
"And heading west towards Scilly is going to be harder because there's a big swell out there so we're going to be rowing into it all the way.
"It's going to take us a bit longer – I can't see us getting back until about five in the afternoon."
Two island gigs made the crossing yesterday but the Tresco and Bryher Gig Club's A team, rowing in the Czar, completed the crossing some 45 minutes faster than the less experienced crew in her sister gig, the Men-a-Vaur.
The B team and the Men-a-Vaur will be going back to the isles aboard the Scillonian ferry in which, no doubt, they will pass the Czar's Joby Newton (cox), Alex Christopher, James Stedeford, Paul Thomas, John Jenkins, Steve O'Brien and Ross Christopher.
The combined crews are hoping to raise around £5,000, which will be divided equally between funding a new boat shed for the gig club on Tresco and the Children's Hospice South West's Precious Lives Appeal.
Asked if the near 80-mile round trip could become an annual fixture in the gig club's calendar, Mr Stedeford seemed adamant. "No, definitely not," he said, rubbing his sore limbs. "This is very much a one-off."
Pilot gig racing is the equivalent of Premiership football when it comes to sport on the Isles of Scilly. The 32ft-long traditional wooden working boats with six single-oar rowing positions and a coxswain are raced in the archipelago every week in the season.
All five inhabited islands have at least one boat – the women crews race on Wednesday evenings throughout summer, while the men take up their oars on Friday nights.
Watching gig racing is a favourite pursuit of visitors to the islands – numerous passenger boats follow each race, making it a thrilling spectator sport. If you' would like to donate to the Tresco-Penzance appeal visit http://trescoandbryhergigclub. blogspot.com
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The Czar arrives at Penzance to raise funds for a Cornish children's charity. The crew rowed from Tresco to Penzance in 7 hours 45 minutes
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