COTEHELE Quay Gig Club enjoyed its best ever start to the rowing season with two top 20 places at the six-mile Three Rivers Race on Sunday, March 3.

The long distance race run by Caradon Rowing Club starts at the Tamar Bridge and visits the entrances to the rivers feeding the Tamar.

The ladies A crew rising from 25th last year to 13th out of 51 with a time of 54 mins 37 secs. Ladies B came in joint 34th at 1hr 40 secs while the men's A came in 17th with a time of 52 mins 14 secs, and the men's veterans A rowing as men's B came in 44th out of 52 at 1 hour 17 secs.

 Ladies A squad leader Jade Farrington said: 'We've been training hard over the winter and it was fantastic to see a top 15 finish as a result. It's given us a great confidence boost and we know we're on the right track to place well at the World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly in May."

'It was a very tough work out as the crew prepares for the Scillies.'It was the first time at the Three Rivers Race for three of the crew, including 15-year-old Bethany German who only took up rowing in May.

Ladies B squad leader Jane Fitzsimons said her crew settled into a strong race after a nervous start, maintaining their position and leaving enough in reserve to take a number of boats in the final straight.

'This resulted in a joint 34th position with a faster time than our Ladies team from 2012,' she said.

'This is the first time we have competed as Ladies B in the Three Rivers so are very pleased with our result and are looking forward to improving further on this at the world championships in May."

Ladies A rower Kelly Elvidge celebrated her 37th birthday at the race and coxed the Men's Vets around the gruelling course having just completed it herself.

The Tamar and Tavy Gig Club entered three teams into the Three Rivers Race. With racing due to start at 9.30am  in bitterly cold conditions the temperature only just raised above freezing for the whole series of races.

The ladies took to the water first holding a good position in their heat fighting with Weymouth and Cattewater through buoy turns for a strong finish. The men had two teams with the A having a superb race with close racing against a ferocious tide in the Tavy before the long run down to the River Lynher before a sprint finish at 41 strokes per minute to gain a strong place.

The men's B team running in the second heat had the full force of the tide but still committed to strong race with a mixed age group crew ranging from 25 to 74 gaining respect from the younger Royal Navy teams they beat.