Dear Members
On Sunday 1st October the Club will once again be hosting the first event in the 2023/24 Harker’s Yard Gig Association Winter Series here at Manningtree. The event is the first in the series of eleven which finishes on 10 March 2024.
The Club Gigs William Rose and Hunter will be taking part with around 18 other Gigs from Clubs around the Essex Coast. With races for women’s, men’s and mixed crews that means we will have at least 150 rowers from visiting Clubs here and we need to give them our usual warm Stour Sailing Club welcome.
High Water on the day is 2:10pm and the first race start will be 1pm.
The Gigs are a spectacular sight on the water with mass starts, and competitive sprint racing meaning that the finishes are also often extremely close – everyone is welcome to come along and watch, and cheer on the crews (especially our Stour Sailing Club Crews in William Rose and Hunter!)
But if you can, please come along and get involved by helping out with the event.
The day is a significant logistical challenge as all of the Gigs have to be taken through the West Compound on trailers and launched, and moored on the Pontoons in time to race and then retrieved again before the tide goes out. And all of the crews have to be fed and watered – starting with breakfast butties, through cake and coffee, to lunch and then of course the Bar (rowers are a thirsty bunch!).
As always we will need all of the help that we can get. Things that we will need help with on the day will include setting up and breaking down, cooking and serving food (breakfast and lunch), making cakes, serving cake and coffee, general oversight and problem fixing, manning the bar, marshalling arriving gigs and trailers, overseeing access to the pontoons, photography, time keeping, course boat, etc. etc.
Please volunteer if you can – and let us know how you can help!
Email rearcommodore@stoursailingclub.co.uk
Thanks
Caroline
Caroline Cunningham – Rear Commodore
