Sharp’s Brewery was delighted to be a lead sponsor of the World Pilot Gig Championships for the first time this year, via its flagship brand, Doom Bar.
The event took place from 29th April to 1st May, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. It saw flocks of rowers descend upon St Mary’s, on the Isles of Scilly. Members of the Sharp’s team were there, soaking up the atmosphere.
The world championships were first held in 1990, only attracting a few crews from Cornwall. But in the intervening years the amount of pilot gigs attending has increased, with crews coming from all over the South West and further afield.
The brewery has roots in the local gig rowing community, having long supported a number of clubs and providing funding for equipment. Recently, it provided Padstow Rowing Club with a new gig cover and beer. Falmouth Rowing Club has received a gig cover, radio, and lights for training, and is soon to have new branded oars.
Sharp’s has supported its most local Rowing Club, Rock, with £1,000 towards clothing. And now it is sponsoring the gig community’s biggest annual event.
Sharp’s marketing controller, James Nicholls, said: “At Sharp’s, we are hugely proud of our coastal provenance and our ongoing support of the local community through a series of gig club sponsorships. The Cornish active, outdoor lifestyle is very much at the heart of our brands and products, so we’re really delighted to have been able to extend our support this year to such an iconic event as the World Pilot Gig Championships.
“Some very lucky members of our team had a fantastic time over on the islands and, by all accounts, it was a great championship year. Well done to all rowers, coxes, and volunteers involved!”
