Dart Gig Club Ladies Super Vets smashed it at the World Pilot Gig Championships, claiming third place on the podium after scooping bronze in the Isles of Scilly-held event.

Crew Katharyn Ashworth, Karen Harvey, Lucy Swash, Alison White, Halina Williams and Beverley Worthington, along with their cox Colin Brown, fought off stiff competition from 50 other crews to win the coveted third best rowing team in the world title in their category.

More than 400 crews entered races in the 32nd annual event, which returned this year following a two year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The championships were hampered by foggy conditions, which led to concerns many gig rowers would not get to the Scilly Isles in time, and resulted in some races being disrupted due to the poor visibility.

But all of Dart Gig Club’s rowers made it to the start line in good time for the racing, “Even if that start light was nigh often invisible due to sudden blankets of fog sweeping in and over the islands to settle right across the bay,” said Dart competitor Anna Koska.

“The race organisers kept their cool, shuffling races either side of these sudden fog assaults.”

Anna explained: “For many of Dart Gig Club, preparation for the World Pilot Gig Championships began in earnest before Christmas, committing to a tough regime of training.

“Under the watchful eyes of coxes, Colin Brown and Yorkie Lomas, the Ladies Super Vets laid down hours and hours of rowing both in and out of the boat, and this commitment paid off in dividends, earning them a podium position and ranking third in the world.”

Dart’s Men’s Super Vets training also paid off well, gaining them a ranking of fourth in the world.

The town’s Ladies Vets finished 16th out of 44, while Dart’s Ladies Open Crew came a respectable 38th out of 123 boats.

In the Open A and B races, Dart Men finished at 37th and 46th respectively, out of 123 boats, with the A crew coming top of their category “Giving them the opportunity to hit the podium and show off some cracking dance moves,” said Anna.

She added: “Racing over, The Dart crews headed off for a night together to eat, drink, and celebrate our results, dissect a challenging start, a triumphant finish, and relive the best moments of the weekend’s racing.

“There is something about the World Pilot Gig Championships, about the coming together of so many clubs, with every single one of them working so hard towards this event.

“The friendship, kindness and camaraderie among competing crews is something extraordinary, something to cherish.

“And something that will see us back here again in 2024.”