The eyes of the gig rowing world are on the Isles of Scilly this weekend for the annual World Championships.

The action got underway yesterday afternoon with the veterans’ long races, ahead of two full days of racing today and tomorrow.

This year marks the last of the automatic qualification, before organisers bring in a new system for 2020 – making a high placing finish more important than ever. To read more about the changes click here.

There was local success yesterday in the men’s veterans racing, when Porthleven rowing in Energetic qualified for a position in this morning’s sprint final. In this they came in 11th, in some tricky windy conditions.

Rose of Cadgwith just missed out on a place in today’s final, coming in 11th in their race yesterday.

Winning the men’s vets final this morning was Roseland in Povarth, with Caradon in Ann Glanville in second and Dartmouth in Smudger in third.

In the ladies’ vets final, home club St Mary’s took the win in Tregarthen’s, followed by Newquay in Spy and Charlestown in Grace for third place.

In the ladies’ supervets final Kensa of Mounts Bay came first, after also taking the top spot in the long race yesterday, followed Salcombe rowing in Wolf and then Truro in Spurr coming third.

The men’s supervets final saw Falmouth come first in Arwenack, followed by Lyme Regis in Black Ven in second and Helford River in Helford in third.

The ladies’ long race from St Agnes is due to get underway at 12.30pm, followed by the men’s at 2pm.

Round two of racing will then see the ladies’ sprint from Nut Rock begin at 3.15pm and the men’s race at 5pm.

Tomorrow, weather conditions allowing, the third round of racing will begin at 10am with the ladies’ race from Nut Rock, followed by the men’s at 11.45am, when gigs in second two will be hoping to move up into the top ten for a place in the finals that afternoon – and those already there will be battling to stay.

The ladies’ final gets underway at 1.30pm tomorrow, with the men’s at 3.30pm.