RNLI volunteers row in charity crew at the World Pilot Gig Championships

A gig crew made up of RNLI volunteers and supporters took to the water in the 30th World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly last weekend (May 4 and 5). The team, made up of volunteers from Salcombe, Looe, Exmouth and Bristol, were competing and raising awareness of the RNLI’s prevention and safety advice over the course of the two-day event.

Duncan Norris, RNLI volunteer Community Safety Officer at Salcombe Lifeboat and mens captain at Salcombe Estuary Rowing Club, organised the gig crew to raise awareness of the RNLI’s #respectthewater campaign and give something back to the St Mary’s Lifeboat. “We thought it would be great opportunity to raise awareness of the RNLI’s safety work in the gig community, by having a visible presence and involvement in the sport’s biggest event in the calendar.”

The crew was made up of Dan Margetts, volunteer helm at Looe RNLI and 2018 men’s world champion, Mark Champion from Exmouth RNLI, and former volunteer RNLI Lifeguard Geoff Goodier from Salcombe and RNLI supporters Luke Griffith from Torquay, James Boundy from Callington and Len Collacott from Bristol.

Duncan was the crew’s cox. He explained: “The rowing community is made up of people who are used to being around the sea and have an awareness of the dangers such as tides and wind. Our aim was to be visible and act as a catalyst for people to think about safety.  We wore RNLI branded rowing kit so were easy to spot, and chatted to rowers and their gig clubs reps as people from the same sporting world with the same passion about rowing. Our fantastic rowing kit was donated by Luke as a tribute to his family’s lifeboat and boating heritage in Torquay.

We had some excellent racing and give thanks to Salcombe Estuary Rowing Club for welcoming the crew into their team and loaning us the gig ‘Bolt’. Conditions were perfect…rough and challenging on Saturday and smooth and fast on Sunday for the finals.”

Pete Hicks, coxswain of the St Mary’s Lifeboat welcomed us onboard and supported us out on the water. “We are very grateful to the island community that hosts the World Champs each year and we have a fundraising page and all monies raised will go to St Mary’s Lifeboat.”

To donate to the St Mary’s Lifeboat follow the link below;

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/ScilliesRNLIgigcrew2019