Two members of the Fishguard Sea Cadets rowing crew who famously raced Hollywood stars during the 1954 filming of Moby Dick have recalled the epic ‘David v Goliath’ show-down.

Huw Lewis was stroke of the boat which powered to a shock victory in the 1.5-mile race in September 1954, while Gareth Rees was second stroke.

Elstree Productions felt a win for the boat coxed by Gregory Peck (Captain Ahab) would be great publicity for John Huston’s movie.

But the Hollywood A-lister and his crew were left trailing as Huw and Gareth and fellow oarsmen Gordon Lewis, Gordon Brooks and Ben Masey triumphed against the odds.

Organisers of Fishguard’s Ar Ymyl a Tir 2026/On Land’s Edge Festival had set out to try and trace the five after being shown a commemorative oar at TS Skirmisher.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” said Huw, who, along with Gareth, will be a special guest at a Moby Dick exhibition at Fishguard’s Theatr Gwaun on September 1.

Gareth R: Gareth Rees, a member of the winning quintet, has fond memories of the occa-sion (Image: Gareth Rees).
Gareth Rees, a member of the winning quintet, has fond memories of the occasion. (Gareth Rees)

“The crew of the ‘Pequod’ challenged us. One was an ex-wrestler named Tom Clegg – so they were big men!

“Hundreds of people had turned out to watch and there was a lot of betting on the out-come.

“The boats used were 27-ft long ‘whalers’ – the ones in the film. We rowed one and the Pequod crew had two – so it was a three-boat race.

“We were all about 17 or 18, but those in the other boats were full-grown men.”

A humbled Peck and Huston subsequently attended an awards presentation evening at Fishguard Yacht Club.

“Huston presented Peck with a large package,” recalls Gareth.

“On opening it Peck found a large and bloody lump of whale blubber which he then flung at Huston from across the room!”

Huw L: Huw Lewis was stroke of the cadets’ boat (Image: Supplied).
Huw Lewis was stroke of the cadets’ boat (Mike Lewis)

Huw also remembers a scene where an actor had to fall off the yardarm and into the sea. “But he chickened out”

“A local nutcase called Iago Phillips took the actor’s place.

“He didn’t jump off the lower yardarm, nor the middle or higher one – but right off the top! And that is who you see in the film!”

Meanwhile, Jane and Kate Masey – daughters of the late Ben Masey – recently enjoyed a tour of TS Skirmisher, where an oar signed by the Pequod crew and bearing the cadets’ names remains a prized exhibit.

“Dad always talked about Fishguard – it was the best time of his life,” said Kate.

Ben, who died in 2016, moved to Newhaven where he worked as a skipper in the Merchant Navy and, latterly, as a deep water pilot.

Kasey sisters: Kate (left) and Jane Masey hold a commemorative oar at TS Skirmisher marking the sea cadets’ victory (Image: Supplied).
Kate (left) and Jane Masey hold a commemorative oar at TS Skirmisher marking the sea cadets’ victory (Mike Lewis)

Father-of-four Gordon Brooks, a mechanic and builder who later worked on the Fishguard-Rosslare ferries, passed away in Fishguard in January 2021 at the age of 81.

“He was quite a character,” recalls his son, Adrian. “Always the life and soul of a party, even though he didn’t drink – he didn’t need it!”

The fifth member of the crew, Huw’s younger brother Gordon – a former commodore of Aberaeron Yacht Club and ‘social legend’ – died in Cardigan in September 2016.