Flushing & Mylor Pilot Gig Club

MA Celebrating Their Silver Medal Success in the Veterans Race at the World Pilot Gig Championships last weekend. (L-R) Paddy Blake, Mark Smith, Jeremy Stonehouse, Paul Smith, Neil Rogers, Andy Blake. Cox (hidden!) Tracey

Ladies A finishing in 9th place at the end of their first race.  (L-R) Cox John Pearce, Liz Wragg, Frances Coventry, Kim Dodge, Sally Thompson, Celia Fraser and Lynn Stonehouse.

Mens B AKA Flushing ROW….BOTS celebrating their 1st in the C Heat and, below, their finish line success.  MB were Barry Churcher, Mike Griffin, Justin Dodge, Pete Handford, Justin Searle and Bauke Buurma.

Ladies B Crew Below. (L-R): Natalie Grose, Kerry Youngman, Carolyn Inger, Madeleine Tidbury-Thorne, Fiona Kendall & Caroline Cash

Overall Club Results were as follows:

Men’s Veterans: 2nd and 41st (out of 46)
Men’s Crews in Open: 7th, 25th & 127th (out of 127)
Ladies Crews in Open: 11th & 83rd (out of 125)

More photos and report following soon…

On Saturday the club provided refreshments for the monthly
‘Produce & Craft Fair’ at Flushing Village Club. We made £130.99.

Big thank you to Louise for organising & who was joined by Pamela and Jacqueline who provided cakes and an excellent service. The club house was packed and feedback suggested it was the best and most charming service they have had.

Also a big thank you to all the unsung heroes – particularly Madeleine, June, Maureen, Frances and jill for providing additional cakes. Simon provided his hand made cake stands, two of which sold with cakes with a percentage donated to the club and John provided notices and club PR material.

The club’s top male rowers took time out of their heavy Scillies training schedule to stage a very successful fundraising evening at Penry Rugby Club.

With an Italian theme, they cooked and served a fabulous 3 course menu, whilst also managing to ‘serenade’ their guests with a few Italian, and not-so-Italian, songs. We’re not sure if they actually managed to sit down and eat anything themselves and most of them were up 6 hours later to get out on the water again.  So much appreciation from everyone who just had to turn up and enjoy the evening.

Around £600 was raised for club funds. Well done – particularly to Biffo, Smudger, Jeremy, Mike, Andy, Blako, Paddy and Barry.

March 23rd 2013 was a big day in the history of FMPGC with the official opening of the club’s new Boathouse. A huge turnout of members, friends, local dignitaries and residents came along to help in the celebrations.

Sarah Newton MP, along with the oldest and youngest rowers of the club did the honours whilst the Chairman, Simon Thompson, thanked the many people and organisations who had been involved in the funding and construction of the new building.

These included Sport England for the money which made the project possible; CSA architects who designed the structure; Nicholas Trefusis for permission to build on his land; the local Parish Council for their support; Blake Construction for actually doing the work, British Rowing and Sita Cornwall Trust for help towards further equipment and future boat projects; past and current committee members for their time and effort in handling the necessary application processes.

A boathouse for FMPGC was, for many years, just a pipe-dream and it has taken the past 2-3 years to make the dream a reality. Now, in it’s 9th year of existence, the club can finally house it’s 4 gigs in a safe, dry and welcoming environment and will benefit from attracting more people into the sport.

Following the official opening, Nankersey Male Voice Choir entertained at the champagne reception and food was served on the beach. Unfortunately the sea was too rough to allow any gigracing but, now that the boathouse is operational, the club looks forward to being able to put on an official regatta at some point in the not too distant future.

Photo (by Tim Wood): Sarah Newton is helped by Milly Devery (one of the club’s youngest rowers) and Angus Nicolson (the oldest) to officially open the new boathouse.