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The World Pilot Gig Championships went by in a flourish. Over one hundred gigs racing under the blue skies of Scilly; competition was fierce with more crews battling it out than ever before. Seeing the snaking line of gigs holding water along a half mile start line was incredible let alone the moment when the flag dropped, oars clashed and one hundred gigs forged for space on the waves.

For the rowers, the start line can win or lose the race; those first strokes are vital to pull away from the pack, miss them and you are likely to end up sparring in busy water unable to make a break. In a riotous and heart felt account of her weekend, we hear how Zennor Ladies A rower Becky Williams (2nd from left, below) copes with the pressure...

Saturday: Got up. Went toilet. Had breakfast. Went toilet. Got dressed (chose best racing knickers). Went toilet. Wandered onto Green. Had nervous look around. Got nervous. Went toilet. Replaced toilet roll (used WHOLE one since breakfast). Sort out gig. Go toilet. Have 50 THOUSAND publicity photos taken. Go toilet for ONE.LAST.TIME. Get in gig. Row to start line. Wait for 'The Phrase of The Harris' - "Well this IS it girls". Faff on start line. Give Father Greg a Paddington Bear hard stare as he's about to take OUR WATER!!! - The cheek of it. Row up. Adjust knickers. Row like hell. Repeat from 'Wandered onto Green'. Last race of the day. Do better. Move up to top heat! Back where we wanted to be. DON'T need to go to toilet for rest of day. Have argument with Father Greg about start line. Mother Greg leaves holiday flat......

Sunday: Pretty much same as Saturday. BUT this time there's the added highlight of my first wild wee on the back of Tresco. Got stage fright. Admired view out across islands. Forgot what I was there for. Slight cold draft reminded me I was supposed to be peeing...... Start to row up to start line. Miss start. Then some rowing/screaming/swearing and general uproar.....don't want to go into that...Drop down to second heat. Grrrrr..... Final race. This really is IT. Fight it out with Scillonian crew. Just.Miss.Out.... Decide on crew challenge for night. Bow vs stroke. Drink copious amounts of port after only eating dextrose energy tablets all day. Try to walk up quay in sensible manner, but in real life I'm actually walking like I'm wearing flippers....Drink more port. Eat pizza to sober up so I can put lenses in without stabbing my eyes out. Shower. Sit on bed. Feel like old person that's been beaten with sticks. Get second wind and away I go again...Mermaid. Downstairs bar. Red wine. Much hilarity with dubious wooden statues. Hi-lar-ious. Go upstairs. More red wine. Tables. Red wine. Carnage...

Monday: Wake up. Mouth like camel's arm pit (do camels have arms?). Last night's make up on. Alice Cooper. Drag myself down to Green. Slink around trying to make myself invisible... Roskilly's ice cream for breakfast. Celebrate success of Bow Side Bonus Dream Team...

Becky Williams
Photos by Kate Atkin, Gavin Saunders & Simon Iggulden

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