The World Pilot Gig Championships are an annual gig racing event held on the Isles of Scilly during the May Day bank holiday weekend.
The World Championships were first held in 1990, only attracting a few crews from Cornwall, but in the intervening years the amount of pilot gigs attending has increased with crews coming from all over the South-West and some from even further afield.
There are multiple races that take place over the weekend, of varying distance, all starting on the Friday night. The ladies and men's veterans races take place on Friday evening, with the main event happening on Saturday and Sunday, with a sailing race on the Monday.
St Agnes
The longest race is from the island of St.Agnes down to the finish line just off the quay of St. Mary's. Both veterans races follow this course to decide the winner of the trophy for these categories.
On the Saturday the men and women race separately, with a full line up of gigs, in 2009 119 gigs were on the start line, and the finishing positions of this race determine the seedings for the subsequent heats.
Nut Rock
Each gig is seeded based on the St.Agnes race and the heats are split into groups of 12 for the race from Nut Rock, back to St. Mary's. Two heats are held, one on Saturday and one of Sunday, with the top two gigs being promoted and the bottom two relegated.
The finals for both the men and ladies take place on the Sunday afternoon, again racing the same course. Each group then has a winner, and the outcome of group A decides who is the overall champions.
Men's Results
| Year | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Truro | Isles of Scilly | Isles of Scilly |
| 1991 | Isles of Scilly | Fowey | Truro |
| 1992 | Isles of Scilly | Truro | Isles of Scilly |
| 1993 | Isles of Scilly | Truro | Isles of Scilly |
| 1994 | Isles of Scilly | Hayle | Caradon |
| 1995 | Caradon | Isles of Scilly | Par Bay |
| 1996 | Caradon | Truro | Roseland |
| 1997 | Caradon | Roseland | Par Bay |
| 1998 | Caradon | Par Bay | Roseland |
| 1999 | Caradon | Isles of Scilly | Par Bay |
| 2000 | Caradon | Roseland | De-Kaag Holland |
| 2001 | Caradon | Roseland | Falmouth |
| 2002 | Falmouth | Caradon | Rame |
| 2003 | Caradon | Rame | Isles of Scilly |
| 2004 | Caradon A | Falmouth | Caradon B |
| 2005 | Caradon A | Caradon B | Par Bay |
| 2006 | Caradon A | Roseland | Caradon B |
| 2007 | Caradon | Roseland | Par Bay |
| 2008 | Mounts Bay | Par Bay | Roseland |
| 2009 | Par Bay | Caradon | Falmouth |
| 2010 | Par bay | Caradon | Mounts Bay |
Women's Results
| Year | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Newquay | Padstow | Fowey |
| 1991 | Isles of Scilly | Roseland | Newquay |
| 1992 | Isles of Scilly | Padstow | Newquay |
| 1993 | Newquay | Isles of Scilly | Fowey |
| 1994 | Fowey | Isles of Scilly | Falmouth |
| 1995 | Falmouth | Port Isaac | Isles of Scilly |
| 1996 | Fowey | Falmouth | Truro |
| 1997 | Falmouth | Fowey | Isles of Scilly |
| 1998 | Falmouth | De-Kaag Holland | Isles of Scilly |
| 1999 | De-Kaag Holland | Falmouth | Charlestown |
| 2000 | Isles of Scilly | De-Kaag Holland | Falmouth |
| 2001 | Isles of Scilly | Par Bay | De-Kaag Holland |
| 2002 | Falmouth | Isles of Scilly | Mounts Bay |
| 2003 | Isles of Scilly | De-Kaag Holland | Salcombe |
| 2004 | Falmouth | Isles of Scilly | Charlestown |
| 2005 | Falmouth | Isles of Scilly | Caradon |
| 2006 | Falmouth | Mounts Bay | Caradon |
| 2007 | Falmouth | Roseland | Caradon |
| 2008 | Falmouth | Charlestown | Roseland |
| 2009 | Roseland | Falmouth | Mounts Bay |
| 2010 | Falmouth | Roseland | Scheveningen-Holland |