England: Cornwall Coastal & Traditional Boat Camp

You can book this trip through our friends and partners Row England.

The Rowing Camp Event of the Season

We all know about rowing camps, but this is one with a difference, a unique opportunity for new and experienced rowers to build skills in traditional and modern coastal rowing craft. Sliding seat coastal rowing is catching a wave with the recent announcement that it will be the rowing sport in the 2022 Youth Olympics and potentially a demonstration event for 2024. Rowers familiar with the slimmer shells used on lakes and rivers should be curious. The same inland rowers may not be aware of the extent of traditional, fixed seat rowing in crafts such as Cornish Pilot Gigs, St. Ayles skiffs and Celtic longboats. We have decided to create a camp that allows rowers to try these different boats, build skills for rowing in waves, tides and currents, and then apply them with excursions along the beautiful coast of Cornwall plus a few friendly races. We promise a great rowing experience, excellent accommodation, award-winning food, great cultural activities and a warm welcome from the local rowing community.  What could be better?

Diversity of Boats

Three different boat types will be available and used by all participants throughout the camp, with the possibility of additional boats joining us for the Friday Festival of Sea Rowing. Our main fleet will be composed of FISA class coastal coxed quads (sculling) plus Cornish Pilot Gigs and a St. Ayles skiff (sweep rowing). Fixed seat rowing was the original approach before sliding seats were invented. Think dories, fishing boats, Thames skiffs and cutters. Cornish Pilot Gigs are fast and seaworthy craft, with 6 rowers and a pedigree going back to the 17th Century. Back in the day, sailing vessels arriving from exotic destinations would make the safe harbour of Falmouth their first port of call. Local pilots would be required to guide the ships in. Teams of gig rowers waited to spot sails on the horizon, and then would race out to meet the ship, carrying a harbour pilot as a passenger.  First one there got the job.  The history of St. Ayles skiffs is much more recent, although they are modeled on the traditional four oared Fair Isle skiff. Designed in Scotland in 2009 as a kit that could be built by clubs and amateur boat builders, now hundreds of boats can be found worldwide.

Two Tracks Geared to Your Experience

This camp is suitable for both experienced “flatwater” rowers and also for new rowers who have completed a Learn to Row course. On Monday through Thursday, two tracks will be offered, the Training Track and the Leisure Track. The former requires a higher level of rowing competence and fitness. The emphasis will be on learning coastal waters and associated techniques, race strategy and training, plus longer distance rows. The Leisure Track offers more casual rowing with shorter excursions and more basic skills coaching. Both tracks will be coached by experienced rowers, familiar with the different boats. It may be possible to spend a bit of time in both tracks. The week will culminate in what we are calling a Festival of Sea Rowing, where we will have three or four types of rowing craft lined up on the beach to test and compare before a parade of boats, along with a lunchtime speaker.

A Most Beautiful Part of England

Rugged and rocky Cornwall is the westernmost tip of England. Our Coastal & Traditional Boat Camp will be based in Falmouth harbour and the river Fal. We will explore the creeks, gardens, beaches and natural maritime environment of this beautiful region. Flanked by two officially recognised ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ and with the South West Coast Path running alongside, the region’s coastline is a must-see attraction for walkers, swimmers and wildlife-watchers as well as for rowers.  Accommodations will be in the city of Falmouth, a city famous for its maritime history, with an excellent range of restaurants, museums and art galleries. Each day we’ll explore a different part of the region, from as far as Helford Creek in the west (including the famous Frenchman’s Creek) towards the Cornish capital city of Truro in the north.

A Partnership Between Two Rowing Travel Companies and Rowing Clubs

This camp is offered in conjunction with Row England, as well as our local partner rowing clubs. Row England is best known for its tours with Thames skiffs, also fixed seat boats.  Jan Holloway is completing construction of his first St. Ayles skiff. At Rowing The World we have become more and more intrigued by all the different styles of rowing.  We have now rowed fixed seats boats in California (whale boats), Ireland (cots), Italy (not sure what they were called!) and England (Thames skiffs and Cornish pilot gigs).  As you know, we are great fans of coastal rowing. Rowing travel is all about exploring and experiencing new destinations, so why not new boats and a new and unique rowing camp?

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