World championship titles secured by gig rowers

Falmouth Pilot Gig Club ended Looe's six-year winning streak when they claimed the men's title [BBC]

Hundreds of crews have taken part in the World Pilot Gig Championships over the bank holiday weekend.

Races were held across a series of categories from Friday to Sunday on the Isles of Scilly with thousands of rowers coming from across the world - including the USA - to participate.

The competition was capped with the men's and women's finals finishing in St Mary's harbour with boats from Falmouth and Helford River claiming the respective titles.

A total of 481 crews, including several from Cornwall and Devon, entered the championships with Lena Budd, part of the women's Helford River crew who defended their title, saying it had been a "great weekend of racing".

Helford River had a close race with the crew from Fowey in the women's final before edging ahead at the finishing line.

"Our mantra has just been to take one stroke at a time and imagine we're back at home on the river," Budd said.

"That really worked for us in the final because we knew we couldn't lose our heads and we knew we just had to beat Fowey who are incredibly strong."

In the men's competition, Falmouth's victory ended a six-year winning streak by Looe, who finished second.

The result switched round top spots from the previous two years when Falmouth lost the title to Looe.

Falmouth crew member Jordan Smith said: "This was a hard one, but it was one that was more painful to lose a couple of times before.