At Bristol Gig Club, we’re lucky to have a fantastic fleet of boats that allows us to train, race and welcome new members throughout the year.
For our regular training sessions on Bristol Harbour, we use our fleet of GRP (glass reinforced plastic, or “plastic”) gigs. These boats are robust, low-maintenance and perfectly suited to the varied conditions of the Floating Harbour, making them ideal for training, learn-to-row sessions and everyday club rowing.
When it’s time to race, we take to the water in our three traditional wooden Cornish pilot gigs. Built to the specifications of the original working gigs, these beautiful boats are used at regattas around the South West and beyond. Racing in a wooden gig is a unique experience and an important part of preserving the heritage and tradition of the sport.
Each of our boats has its own name, history and character, and together they represent the heart of our club. Meet the Bristol Gig Club fleet below.
Our Training Fleet
Our training boats help us get as many people on the water as possible, whatever their experience level. Whether you’re taking your first strokes or training for your next race, these boats are the backbone of our weekly rowing programme.
For our regular weekly rowing sessions, we have two (soon to become three) permanent Bristol Gig Club boats; Wapping Wharf and Massive Attack. These boats can often be seen rowing up and down the harbour, with rows going out every day of the week, morning and evening.
We also have use of Bristol Blue, which we share with All Aboard Watersports, moored by The Cottage Inn.
Our Racing Fleet
Our three wooden gigs are the boats you’ll see representing Bristol Gig Club at regattas throughout the season. Lovingly maintained by our members, they embody the history, craftsmanship and competitive spirit of Cornish gig rowing.
Young Bristol was launched in 2007, built by Slipway Cooperative in conjunction with the charity ‘Young Bristol’, with the aim of introducing gig rowing to disadvantaged young people in Bristol.
Concorde was launched in Bristol in March 2019, after securing a Sports England grant. Built by Andrew Nancarrow, the boat is named after the ship ‘Concord’ built in Bristol in 1710. Concord was captured by the French a year after being built and renamed Concorde de Nantes, but Bristol-born Edward Teach, better known as the pirate ‘Blackbeard’, recaptured her in 1717 in the West Indies. During this time, she captured many prizes and Concord became a byword for Bristol.
Mischief, our newest wooden boat, was launched in November 2023, named after a 45-foot replica of a 1906 Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter.