The six-oared Cornish Pilot Gig is a rowing boat unique to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; it's history can be traced back to the 1790s, when it was used to take a pilot out to the square-riggers plying their trade around the Cornish coast and along the English Channel. Competition was rife between neighbouring ports, to get their pilot on board first, as this would secure the much needed trade for their own villagers and it is in this tradition that the now burgeoning sport of gig racing has its roots. Pilot Gigs had to be built to withstand terrible weather conditions; this meant they were used many times in preference to the established lifeboats. There are many reports of them also being used to bring contraband into the Southwest from Brittany.