Laurence Oliver
2 May 2026
The Isle of Scilly World Championships. My first ever trip. What could possibly go wrong?
This year I somehow found myself not only rowing, but also coxing — because apparently stress and responsibility are more enjoyable when combined with seas and childlike over excitement. With four crews entered across Men’s and Ladies’ Supervets and Open categories, excitement levels were high, along with blood pressure.
Training… Eventually
Preparation for the championships was, in true British fashion, heavily assisted by terrible weather and river conditions that resembled scenes from a disaster movie. We finally managed to get boats on the water in late February after what felt like months of staring at flow readings and oars from the safety of dry land.
Despite the challenges, training went well. Everyone worked hard, with several crew members supplementing rowing sessions with regular gym work. Others specialised in the lesser-known disciplines of weather complaining and “just checking the pub’s open for after training.”
Friday – Supervets Day
Friday 1st May kicked off with the Ladies St Agnes race followed by the Men’s. In the afternoon came the legendary Nut Rock races, which sound less like rowing events and more like obscure pub snacks.
Both crews put in solid performances and rowed well, although unfortunately neither managed to secure a place in Saturday morning final which was limited to the top 12 crews. Still, spirits remained high — mainly because the weather was good, the location amazing and there was a pub for dinner afterwards.
A sensible evening followed with “a light refreshment and bite to eat,” which in rowing language translates roughly to: “we’ll only stay for one.” The Open crews, displaying remarkable discipline, headed off for relatively early nights in preparation for Saturday.
Saturday – Open Crews Take the Stage
Saturday followed a similar pattern, with both Men’s and Ladies’ Open crews tackling the St Agnes race before beginning the first of their three Nut Rocks.
The Ladies had a great performance in their St Agnes race, putting themselves in a strong position heading into the afternoon. The Men’s crew also rowed well but left themselves with slightly more work to do — a tactical decision, obviously.
By the afternoon Nut Rock race, the Ladies secured an impressive 3rd place, while the Men finished 4th. Both crews narrowly missed promotion to the group above, proving once again that sport is excellent at creating emotional damage in very short periods of time.
Sunday – Promotions, Celebrations and Survival
Sunday saw the Open crews back on the water for their final two Nut Rock races.
The Ladies set the standard immediately by winning their morning race and earning promotion to the group above — a brilliant achievement and the first official excuse for celebrations later that evening.
Not wanting to be outdone, the Men’s crew attempted to copy the Ladies’ success and came home in a nail-biting second place. Fortunately, the top two crews were promoted, meaning the Men also moved up a group. Coincidence? Probably not.
In the final races, the Ladies finished a superb 4th in their group, ending the championships in an excellent 89th position. The Men’s Open crew rounded things off with a solid 8th place finish in their final race, 105th overall.
At this point, with racing complete and muscles barely functioning, attention naturally shifted away from serious competition and firmly toward pubs, shanties and occasional food consumed somewhere between celebrations.
Final Thanks
There are far too many people to thank individually and nowhere near enough room in the magazine.
Special thanks must go to Kate for her incredible support and hard work throughout the entire IOS journey as captain, rower and cox. Thanks also to Tim for coxing the Ladies Open crew, Claire A for coxing the men’s open training, Elaine for somehow managing to organise accommodation and dinner bookings without losing her sanity, and Hora for all his work on Phoenix and towing her around the country.
Finally, thank you to everyone who helped make the trip possible, those who rowed in crews, supported the crews and contributed to an unforgettable championships experience.
Same time next year? Oh for sure. The planning has already begun!
