Roadford Races: Kite Course Challenge

Thank you to Bude Pilot Gig Club and Jan Keat for sharing this fifth installment of the Roadford Races with us!

Bude Pilot Gig Club proudly hosted Round 5 of the Roadford Races at Roadford Lake on Saturday, March 22nd, drawing competitive rowing teams from across four counties – Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and Derby. Nine clubs took part on a bright but breezy day. Alongside Bude, the other teams included Midland Cornish, Tamar & Tavy, Porlock Weir, Boscastle & Crackington, Clevedon, Barnstaple, Torridge, and Appledore. Boscastle & Crackington entered two boats, giving a total of ten gigs.

The event saw thrilling races as clubs took on the new and challenging kite course, adding an extra level of strategy and skill to the competition. Crews battled fiercely to navigate the buoys, making for an exciting spectacle, whilst umpires worked diligently to ensure fair play throughout the day.

As the Roadford Races neared its conclusion, tensions ran high as crews pushed themselves to the limit in pursuit of crucial points. Each race showcased determination, teamwork, and the resilience of the rowers, making for a truly gripping round of competition. As expected, the scoreboard was eagerly viewed by competitors throughout the day. The scoring was close, with Bude’s Barrel Rock claiming a brilliant first place overall. Bude won the Open B, Open Vets, Women’s A, and Open A. The Bude teams triumphed with spectacularly strong rowing. Their coxes skilfully negotiated the buoys as the crews dug deep and powered past the other boats, leaving them in their wake to storm home to the finish line.

Boscastle’s women’s crews rowed exceptionally well throughout the day, taking convincing first places in Women’s Masters, Women’s Super Vets, and Women’s’ Vets races. Third place in the competition was swept up by Tamar & Tavy rowing Birlanda.

Other first-place positions were taken by Torridge in Revenge, who won the Women’s B race. The Open Masters was won by Appledore in Verbena. The crew from Clevedon rowed Ladye Bay into first place in the Open Super Vets. 

As always, it was pleasing to see the youngsters rowing. The Junior race was won by a strong crew from Tamar & Tavy, Boscastle & Crackington’s junior crew secured a solid second place, whilst Bude’s crew in Barrel Rock rowed with great resilience to claim third. These crews are ones to watch as the season progresses.

Although the Novice race was not included in the official scoring, six enthusiastic boats participated. Midland Cornish and Clevedon took first and second place, respectively, with Torridge securing third.

After Round 5, the hotly contested scoreboard shows Boscastle (Jan Rogers) is leading, followed by Appledore (Verbena) with Bude (Barrel Rock) hot on their heels in third place.

Bude Pilot Gig Club expressed their sincere gratitude to all the participating teams and enthusiastic spectators who contributed to the event’s success. With just one round of Roadford Races remaining, excitement is mounting as teams prepare for the final showdown on April 12th, where the overall champions will be decided. 

Of course, it must not be forgotten that the race could not take place without the dedication of the safety crews, umpires, and race starters who ensured that the event ran smoothly and fairly.

As always, G & B Gig Photography was on hand to capture the excitement of the event with their brilliant photos and video footage for all to browse on their Facebook page.

Photo credit: G&B Photography