Brading Haven Rowers Win Traditional Wooden Gig From Swanage Sea Rowing Club

The Founders of Brading Haven Gig Rowers Bembridge, Sarah Price and Polly Schafer, who are part of Brading Haven Yacht Club, saw all of their Christmases come at once this festive season.

The pair had entered a competition Swanage Sea Rowing Club was running, with the winners named beneficiaries of a beautiful wooden Gig called ‘Old Harry’.

A gig is a type of boat optimised for speed under oar, but usually also fitted with a sailing rig for appropriate conditions. The type was commonly in use by Deal boatmen in the 18th century.

Swanage Sea Rowing Club (SSRC), an established and successful Gig Rowing club on the south coast, had decided to give one of their wooden Gigs ‘Old Harry’ that had been in storage for 3 years, to a Gig club in development.

Swanage Trustees invited clubs from around the UK to apply with the potential of being gifted the much-loved boat that was SSRC’s first Gig they had bought.

Sarah Price and Polly Schafer, joint Founders of Brading Haven Gig Rowers, said:

“We were absolutely over the moon and so excited to receive this incredible gift”.

"As a new Gig Rowing Club that began only 18 months ago at Brading Haven Yacht Club, to have our very own Gig gifted to us so early in our development is amazing.

"The club has gone from strength-to-strength, with 40 members of all ages enjoying this fantastic and inclusive sport on the water.”

The name of Old Harry will remain with Swanage Rowing Club so she will be renamed and rebranded very soon.

She was built in 2001 by Alan Hangar at his workshop in Weymouth Quay and cost Swanage Sea Rowing Club around £10,000 to purchase her.