Plymouth to host Junior International Gig Rowing Championships

8th October 2024

Plymouth's The Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre is set to host the inaugural Junior International Gig Rowing Championships this coming Saturday 12 October, as teams from across the world converge in Britain’s Ocean City ready to row in a series of races within the Cattewater.

Gig rowing is a fast-growing sport that has been expanding rapidly beyond Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, stretching into the East of England, Wales and overseas, including the Netherlands, United States and Bermuda. 

In recent years the Mount Batten Centre has welcomed adult crews from around the country to compete in National Championships and are delighted to be supporting this new Junior event which has been developed as part of the Wave of Events project; the project aims to deliver more gig rowing events, including competition opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy as participants and spectators.

Esther Pearson, CEO, Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre:“We are thrilled to welcome young gig rowers from around the world to Plymouth for this exciting championship. The Centre provides the perfect host venue – direct waterfront access for the teams onto the Cattewater for the racing, excellent spectator vantage points, as well as shore-based facilities for crew and supporters.

We look forward to witnessing some fantastic racing and encourage everyone to come out and cheer on the competitors.”

10 gigs will form a competition pool which crews will race in throughout the event. The event will begin with seeding heats containing both U16 and U14 age groups plus all categories to include Open, Girls, Mixed and Free. Boats will be placed into the next round of heats based on their finishing position and move up and down in subsequent heats (dependant on their results), to determine their overall position. 

There will be medals for first, second and third position in each age group and category.

The Junior International Gig Rowing Championships are kindly sponsored by Plymouth CityBus and Plymouth Waterfront Partnership.

Headline Sponsor Plymouth CityBus, Managing Director, Richard Stevens said:“We are really pleased to be supporting this inaugural international rowing event. It is exciting that competitors from gig rowing communities across the country and beyond will be drawn to Plymouth. Our city is an ideal venue for watersports and we look forward to seeing young people on the water creating a wonderful spectacle for their families and supporters on the shore.”

After unfortunate weather conditions and the postponement of racing at Swanage on 6 October, the CPGA has also announced a revised schedule for the Adult National County Championships now to be held at the Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre on Sunday 13 October.

The Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre is a key partner in the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park project, made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. As part of the project, the Centre, the Mount Batten Tower and Mount Batten peninsula will all benefit with improvements and enhancements to amplify the visitor experience.