Blue plaque to honour gig boatbuilder's legacy

The life and work of a Cornish boatbuilder is to be commemorated with a blue plaque.

Ralph Bird built 29 gig boats during 21 years at his workshop on the banks of the Carnon river near Devoran and was instrumental in the resurgence of gig racing after he began an annual race on the Fal in 1981.

The plaque was organised by the Restronguet Creek Society and is due to be unveiled later in a private ceremony attended by his widow Marie.

The 32ft long traditional clinker-built wooden boats were originally made at the end of the 18th Century in Cornwall to take harbour pilots out to sailing ships.

Bird built his first gig, Energy, with students at Falmouth Marine School and he was subsequently asked to build another for Cadgwith Pilot Gig Club members in 1986 as gig racing became more popular.

Buller was the first of the gigs Bird built at the workshop at Carnon Mine, with the last one eponymously named Ralph Bird for Porthgain Rowing Club in 2007.

He was one of the founding members of the Cornish Pilot Gig Association and trustee Norma Edwards is due to speak at the plaque unveiling about his importance to gig racing.

When he died in 2009, she said: "It wouldn't be the sport it is without Ralph."

About 800 people attended Bird's funeral at Truro Cathedral.

His coffin, draped in the St Piran's flag, was laid on a gig he had built for the Roseland club, the William Peters, while rowers used paddles to form a guard of honour.

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