Saturday 12th July was a scorcher – so much so that participants at the Vets Championships were overheard asking, “Is this Brixham or Bermuda…?”
On the shore, Breakwater Beach was packed with gazebos as rowers sought shelter from the blistering sun. On the water, race officials celebrated the unusual occurrence of beautiful conditions as rowers worked hard around the 2.5km kite course.
In Round 1 of the Women’s category, Falmouth A in Heat 1 and Newquay A in Heat 2 both secured fast times of less than 15 minutes. In Heat 3, Charlestown pipped Coverack to the finish line, while Caradon A crossed the line first in Heat 4.
In the Open category, both Caradon A and Appledore A completed the course in under 14 minutes, with Appledore A ahead on the line in Heat 1. In Heat 2, Devon finished in front of Cornwall again, with Dart A taking the lead over Falmouth A. Bude A led the pack ahead of Salcombe A and Charlestown in Heat 3.
With the racing progressing to Round 2, the Women prepared for their final races. Convincing winners of the Bowl Final for Group D were Tamar Tavy, with the tussle for second place resulting in a time penalty for Padstow, which pushed them into third behind Brixham B.
In the Shield Final for Group C, tight racing to the first mark saw the race officials calling positions in quick succession. The close competition continued throughout, especially further down the fleet, but Caradon A confidently took the top spot over Bude and Salcombe B.
Bridport A headed the fleet from the first mark of the Plate Final, with Helford A finishing third after chasing down Dart A throughout the second and third legs.
The hotly anticipated Cup Final for Group A saw two B crews – Falmouth B and Helford B – amongst a fleet of nine A crews. Despite Falmouth A, in Catalina, securing the mark ahead of Caradon A in Petroc, a strong turn by Caradon A triggered a big battle between the two crews that continued to the line. Caradon A held on to their lead, finishing ahead to secure first-place medals and becoming Women’s Vets Champions 2025, with Falmouth A in second and Charlestown A in third.
Round 2 of the Open category began with the Shield Final, where plenty of wash made for more challenging conditions. Fowey jumped into an early lead, with Salcombe close behind throughout in second place and Barnstaple in third. All crews enjoyed the benefit of a freshening breeze to offset the heat of the day.
In the Plate Final, Mounts Bay led the charge, holding position ahead of Dart B on their outside and Caradon B on their inside. Mounts Bay gained an advantage after executing a very clean first mark, with Dart B in hot pursuit and Caradon B dropping behind after a slower turn. At the second mark, Caradon B responded with a much neater turn and were really challenging Dart B by the time they reached the final mark side by side. Caradon B pushed too hard for Dart B, taking second place and finishing behind winners Mounts Bay, with Dart B in third.
After gaining an advantage on the start line, Caradon A in Templar led the first leg of the Cup Final, but were caught by Appledore A in Len White, who took the first mark and extended their lead by the second. Behind them, a cluster of crews battled for position, with Dart A fending off Salcombe A to hold third. At the finish line, Appledore A claimed victory to become Open Vets Champions 2025, with Caradon B in second and Dart A in third.
Even with the sun shining, the event was not without incident. The lifeboat was called out, sailing boats drifted into the course, and jet skis and yachts created unnecessary wash.
By the end of a successful day, both the Women’s and Open categories saw shifts from the World Pilot Gig Championships lineup. Caradon A Women and Appledore A Open crews both celebrated their Vets Championship wins.
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