Classic Boat — March 2018

C/O THE OWNER

C/O HUNKIN BOATBUILDERS

Prawn

1918

Built in 1918 by Walter Woods

and last sailed in the 1970s,

Prawn had been left neglected

in a Norfolk barn, until the

current owner exchanged her as

a restoration project for a case

of claret. She was duly restored

and relaunched in July 2008.

Prawn, as the oldest, and

only mostly original, gaff-rigged

Norfolk punt, is unique. She is a

sailing evolution of the gun

punts that roamed the Broads in

search of wildfowl for sport (and

the table), when shooting and

sailing were closely related.

Prawn is having new sails this

year for her 100th birthday.

See our feature on the

evolution of the sailing gun

punt on pages 50-

Fowey- based
boatbuilder Louis Hunkin recently
finished building the 200th Cornish pilot
gig. The first was Treffry in 1838. Originally
workboats, these days they race at sea, each propelled by
six oarsmen, and at 32ft (9.8m) long remain true to the original,
which is still operational and rowed by the Newquay Rowing Club, also in
Cornwall. The 200th boat – Little Picket – was built for the Sidmouth Gig Club in
Devon, seen here collecting their boat. There’s no rest for Louis though, who has
already laid the keel for the 201st gig. This one will be for Fowey.

CORNWALL

The 200th

Cornish pilot

gig has

been built

Entries are open for this

year’s Round the Island

Race in association with

Cloudy Bay. This year’s

race takes place a little

later than usual, on 7 July,

to avoid clashing with the

Isle of Wight Festival. The

fleet of 1,500-odd sailing

boats (anything with a

mast, pretty much) will

race the 50-mile course

from Cowes to Cowes, as

they have done since the

race was first run in 1931.

Visit roundtheisland.org.uk

to enter. CB is acting as

media partner to the race.

COWES

Entries open

for Round the

Island Race

Oldest punt

still afloat