At Penryn Rowing Club we row Skiffs, Flashboats, & Cornish Pilot Gigs.
We welcome children from the age of 7yrs & all adults, whatever the age. Children can start to learn to coxswain at 7yrs in the Flashboats, & can learn to row when they are physically mature enough to handle a junior oar.
Flashboat racing catergories are under 14, under 16, under 18 & all adults.
Gig racing catergories are under 14, under 16, all adults & Veteran & Super Veteran for ages 40 & 50.
We train on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday evenings from around 5pm, although this can alter slightly with tide times. We aslo train on Saturday & Sunday if there's no racing. In the winter due to lack of light we train on weekends only. Training times are tide dependant at Penryn Quay, & if there is no tide at Penryn we then train at Mylor Yacht Harbour.
For anyone who wants to try it out, we hold club sessions on a Wednesday & Sunday, so pop along & give it a go. You don't have to have any previous knowledge or experience of rowing at all, we will teach you all that you need to know.
Please note that anyone under the age of 18 must have written permission from a parent or guardian.
Please note that if there are training times down for both Penryn and Mylor it is your own responsibility to contact 'Gwen' to find out which one is valid for that day.
For any further information or details please don't hesitate to email us at:
penrynrowingclub_yahoo.com
Or phone 'Gwen' on:
07522 194265
Cornish Rowing Association
Flashboat racing has been the mainstay of CRA rowing for over thirty years, and yet for many years after it's formation in 1951 the CRA did not race flashboats at all. The main boat was a fifteen foot Skiff based on a Fal working design. These are still raced today alongside the Flashboats.
Flashboats bear little reseamblance to the originals. Just after the first world war a significant change took place in the building of these boats, they became lighter and finer bottomed with a view to winning races rather than for work use. A Stonehouse boatbuilder took exception to this, and boasted that his boats were still proper working boats rather than just 'Flash' boats, hence the beginning of the name termed to all eighteen foot clinker built boats that were built with racing in mind.
During the late 70's-80's, Flashboat racing came to the Penryn area with two Flashboat builders Rob Hilder and Willie Hurley who were pushing back the limits of boat design and rowing technique. Until this time almost all Flashboat rowers had rowed with two hands on top of the oar, as opposed to one on top and one under. It took many years for other Flashboat clubs to adopt the Penryn 'style' and this is now how all Flashboat rowers use their oars.
Today Flashboat rowing provides excellent sport for a small group of clubs around the south west, with a high level of dedication and commitment needed to master the rather unstable boat. Many Flashboat rowers are also involved in Cornish Pilot Gig racing, and are committed to ensuring that the design of the Cornish Gig does not evolve and remains as it is now, first and foremost an excellent, stable, working boat design, which happens to also be pretty good at racing!
Excerpts taken from Gig & Rowing Magazine.
© Copyright 2011 Penryn Rowing Club
