ABOUT AFFINITY ROWING CLUB

ARC was established in January 2020. Three women, passionate about rowing, decided to found a club which expressed essential values of mutual respect and trust, love of the sport and a club that provided safe haven and growth for members of the local community. Since then club has grown from strength to strength with six crews meeting weekly, many named after phases of the moon.

We have four race crews: Wolf, our men's crew, Wave, our women's crew, Hunter, and Crescent. These crews have rowed in various regattas, the Isle of Scillies, Swanage, the Great River Race, and more locally to us the Head of the Ouse and SEEGL.

With the beginning of the pandemic, ARC's activities on the water had to be paused.

Off water activities continued as a support during the difficult isolation times including physical training, craft, as well as many club members helping to repaint Grace O'Malley, our gig, at a safe distance.

Photo by Martin Sinnock

THE CORNISH GIG

The Cornish Pilot Gig is a fixed seat, six-oared rowing boat, built of Cornish narrow leaf elm and measures 32 feet (9.8 m) long with a beam of four feet ten inches. A gig is rowed by six rowers and helmed by a cox; it is recognised as one of the first shore-based lifeboats that went to vessels in distress, with recorded rescues going back as far as the late 17th century. Today, pilot gigs are used primarily for sport, with around 100 clubs across the globe. The demand for rowing and Cornish Pilot Gig rowing, continues to grow in the South East of England. It allows people of all backgrounds to come together and learn new skills, while exercising.