The chance to name Charlestown Rowing Club’s new Cornish pilot gig could be yours for a £10 donation to the fund-raising appeal.

The club is aiming to raise £24,000 to fund the new gig, which is under construction at Peter Williams’ boatyard on the River Fowey. 

Her purchase has been on the cards since 2020, when lockdown temporarily put paid to boat-building activity.

“We’re a very competitive club, with crews in the top heats of the county finals and the World Championships,” says club fund-raising officer Vicky Bird. 

“To uphold that reputation, we need the best equipment. 

“A new boat will be lighter and faster. The better we do, the more crews we can send the following year.”

This is the club’s fourth wooden gig. 

Half of the necessary funds will come from the sale of Defender, the elder of the two existing boats (alongside Grace), in which the ladies’ A team were ranked seventh in the 2022 World Championships in the Isles of Scilly.

“She is beautiful and well-maintained,” says Vicky. 

“Clubs that are new or not so well established often buy an older boat to get started, as it’s cheaper.”

To be in with a chance of naming the new boat, simply submit your suggestion along with the reason why you think it’s the perfect moniker for the gig. 

All entries will be anonymised and sent to a rowing club member who stands independently of the committee; the winner will be revealed once the name has been chosen.

Could Boaty McBoatface be on the cards? 

“If you offer to stump up the full £24,000, your choice of name is far more likely to chosen,” says Vicky, diplomatically. 

All name submissions must be sent by email to [email protected] by Sunday, March 12, when the club will also make its annual donation to Children’s Hospice South West.

This is one of a series of monthly events, which have included a quiz night on board Lady Daphne, a “cutathon” with local hairdressers in the gig shed that raised £200, while Santa’s grotto and the Boxing Day swim raised a stonking £2,500. 

Look out for an Easter trail around Charlestown businesses in April.

Sponsorship is also welcome, including on clothing, trailer boards, oars and cushions.