Ralph Bird 1942 – 2009

March 9th, 2010 by JCB
Posted in Obituaries | No Comments »

Further to the feature on the pilot gigs of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in the October 2007 issue it is with sadness that I have to report the death of Ralph Bird who almost single handedly ensured that these wonderful historic craft were not only preserved and restored but by also creating competitive racing of them his enthusiasm and dedication has resulted in gig clubs being established not just in the traditional waters of SW England but increasing world wide.

Ralph Bird’s coffin being towed through the streets of Truro       Photo: David Barnicoat

Ralph Bird was born of a Cornish family in 1942 in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa. Following the death of his father he spent his first birthday aboard a ship returning to Britain where he was brought up in Cornwall by his mother and his grandfather.

After attending school and technical college he trained as a shipwright through an apprenticeship with Falmouth Boat Construction. Once he had perfected his skills his interest in the traditional Cornish pilot gigs motivated him into dedicating his life to the restoration and preservation of the craft, many of which were lying rotting and abandoned.

In 1981, Ralph, with a handful of other enthusiasts, borrowed a few historic gigs and set up the Truro Three Rivers Race. Within five years, four pilot gig clubs had been established and this led  to the Cornish Pilot Gig Association being formed in 1988 with Ralph as President.The Association  introduced a standard design for all racing gigs and it was agreed that the Treffry should be the gig used for this standard. Built by William Peters in 1838 and owned by the Newquay gig club, Treffry is still  racing today and is considered to be the finest example of the craft.

Between 1986 and 2007, when he retired due to ill health, Ralph built 29 gigs and on  October 6, 2007, in a remarkable feat of logistics, all of these were brought together on the beach at Newquay for the christening and launch of his last gig which he had built for the Porthgain club in Wales. Porthgain named it Ralph Bird in his honour. Despite suffering from cancer, Ralph took an oar on the the Ralph Bird for a pre retirement row around Newquay harbour and all the crews raised their oars in honour of his achievements.

Sadly, Ralph finally lost his battle against cancer and passed away on the 2nd November 2009.

His coffin, draped in the Cornish flag of St Piran, was towed to Truro cathedral aboard the gig William Peters, which he built for Roseland in 1987, and gig rowers formed a guard of honour on the cathedral steps with raised oars as the coffin was carried in. For the service, the cathedral was packed with nearly one thousand people, many wearing their club’s gig colours providing a final tribute to this remarkable man.

Ralph’s remarkable legacy is that there are now 53 affiliated clubs and 141 registered gigs and with other gig builders working to Ralph’s standard continuing the tradition, the sport continues to grow in popularity. The annual World championships held in the Isles of Scilly have attracted teams from London, the Netherlands, France, USA, Australia and the Faeroe Islands. From the first race in 1981 involving three gigs it is now estimated that more than 7,000 people participate in gig racing at more than 300 regattas around the South West each summer. Thousands more enjoy watching these amazing craft in action.

As pilots we all owe a debt of gratitude to Ralph Bird for recognising the importance of these remarkable craft which has ensured the preservation of this important part of pilotage heritage.

JCB