A good idea simply grows doesn’t it? Well in early 2015 a few friends from Sussex did the long early drive to Cornwall one Saturday for an opportunistic row on a wooden rowing boat called a Cornish Gig. After two hours on the water rowing hard for the first time ever they sat in the bar overlooking the amazing Percuil estuary and asked one very simple question; Why doesn’t Sussex have a Gig rowing scene that benefits its communities?  They then simply drove back. Inspired, buzzing with ideas and everyday life took over again as it does for all of us.

Over the coming months because it was such a good idea, it kept coming back to them. (Like all good ideas do!). They began to wonder whether there was a place for a Cornish Gig in Sussex, and whether the ancient craft of rowing a fixed seat wooden boat could be used to bring the river Ouse in Sussex back to life for the benefit of the whole community.

So conversations were had with key people including the Harbourmaster and the RNLI. Things started to take shape

In early June 2016. Just £100 was taken out of the bank by the founders. A deal was done with Langstone Rowing Club and a new but unusual visitor to Newhaven rolled into the marina on a 35ft trailer. A big yellow and white Cornish Gig gently skimmed through the streets of Newhaven. Turning heads, fluttering hearts and creating a new scene one simple stroke at a time. Laura Jane had arrived and social media, community goodwill and a lot of luck has done the rest…..

On the slipway that day were 7 budding rowers. Ready to train. Ready to try. Ready to adventure. They had found the key to unlocking the rivers potential. Three of those rowers were the clubs founders ; Graham Precey, Mark Beaumont and Nicola Forrester

 As time went on word spread further and more people from all walks of life, began to turn up to row; weekends, weeknights, daytime, night time, sun, snow, fog and ice. Newhaven Gig Rowing Club was now established.

We now have a committee who meet regularly and a traditional wooden Cornish Gig owned by some of the committee.

We have established links with other rowing clubs. We are training coxes and have two trained coaches. So we now teach others to row even if they’ve never been on a boat before, we can develop skills of those who have been a sliding seat rower (and want to try rowing a real boat), we can even raise the game of the more experienced rowers.

We have a youth section and would love more young people to get involved.

Nowadays we try to get together and make it a social affair. We row to the pub for lunch in Lewes, put out to sea in the bay, get out rowing under the stars when the sun has set and tend to laugh a lot.

We’re a club for the old and the young, for those who are fit and those who want to get fit. For those who want to get out on the water and take a leisurely tour of the local area and for those who want to row and win some tin!

Established in 2016 and hopefully here in 100 years time making the River Ouse thrive again for the community!