With all rowing cancelled and the much loved World Pilot Gig Championship cancelled on the Scillys this year the Hayle Pilot Gig Rowing Club did not let that stop them from rowing and putting their winter training to some use. The team of five with a mixed age range of Andrew Cornwell, Andy Flewitt, Chris Harvey, Matthew Robbins and Sam Norton all got on their own home Ergo rowing machines and entered as a Hayle Gig Club crew into the 2020 World Ergo Challenge.
The World Ergo Challenge attracts 701 crews from all over the World , and is a competition run by Concept 2 in which competitors row as as far as they can on rowing machines between the 15th of march and the 15th of April.. The team entered a very competitive section called “on water” which had members of between 2 and 5 rowers. Hayle crew rowed themselves to first place in a field of 71 international crews.
In the overall rankings looking at all the rowing sectors in a field of 701 teams Hayle came a very credible 203rd given some of the teams had a huge number of contributors, the wining team had over 400 members rowing for them. The Hayle rowers completed a total of 1,407,603 metres which was an average per Hayle rower of 281,521. Adjusting the figures overall and averaging it out Hayle would have finished 50th over all from all the 701 Teams competing.
Great team effort by Hayle made even more impressive by the fact they could not see each other but used social media to encourage each other on. When we get back in the sea proper who knows what Hayle Gig Club will be capable of now! Anyone interested in giving gig rowing ago would be more than welcome to join Hayle Gig Clubs free taster sessions once we are through these odd times. Details and information can be found on our Facebook page
Chris Harvey Mens captain powering his way to 400,000 metres.
Brilliant. Well donex