The second day of the World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly brought intense competition as veteran and super veteran crews battled it out in the finals. With 481 crews of six rowers and a cox registered to compete through Sunday, the energy on the water was electric.

In the Women's Vets category, Falmouth in Fury powered to the front, with Mounts Bay in Ictis taking second and Caradon in An Showrlann securing third. Meanwhile, the Women's Super Vets race saw a stunning upset as the newly-formed Helford River crew edged out last year's champions, Teign in Teign Spirit, with Salcombe in Bolt taking bronze.

The Open Vets race brought glory to Devon as Appledore in Whitford claimed first place. Caradon in An Dhowrlann followed in second, while Dart in Smudger and Bude in Summerleaze rounded out the top four spots.

Mel Williams from Helford River Super Vets described the race as "really tough." She added, "We came into this race as the underdogs. We're quite a new crew, so we didn't really know where we were going to be." Williams said staying close to Teign at the start was "amazing," noting, "They were well ahead of us at the start line. We literally just crawled up and up. It was an absolute mental game. We just had to believe we could do it."

Saturday also saw Falmouth Gig Club claim the Women's Veteran's World Title, while Salcombe Gig Club earned multiple medals, including bronze in Women's Super Vets and silver in Women's Masters.

Off the water, the atmosphere was just as vibrant. Sgt Al Jordan from the Isles of Scilly Police, working his fifth championship, described a "fantastic" vibe. "Everybody's here to have a good time... It's so far so good," he said. "We're very unique over here and we strive on having that community and neighbourhood policing style. We make sure everyone is having a good time and we're here to help. If people misbehave, we're here to deal with it." His message to participants: "Have a great time but have a safe time."