A Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessel is attending the World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly this weekend.

The warship HMS QUORN will be anchoring off St Mary's from 4- 8 May to provide a Royal Navy presence at this event, and no doubt, will cheer on the two RN teams in the event: representing HMS Raleigh, the school of seamanship, logistics, and basic training for all Naval Ratings, and Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where all Royal Navy officers are trained.

HMS Quron will be offering top deck tours of the ship to the public from 10am to 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. Boats to and from the ship will be available from St Mary's harbour every half hour between these times. Those wishing to visit HMS Quorn should be capable of using a ladder unaided.

Britannia is entering two gigs at the championships, Leander and Ajax, which were donated to the college by the Britannia Association, generously funded by Sir Donald Gosling.

The gigs will be crewed by young Royal Navy officers under training and members of staff from the college. Each gig has six rowers and a coxswain.

This will be the 4th year the college has raced at the Scillies. Competition is expected to be fierce with upward of 100 gigs from Cornwall, Devon, Holland, and elsewhere lining up for the big race on Saturday afternoon.

Over the four years since acquiring the gigs the Britannia club has introduce over 250 Young Officers to the sport and has competed in the Eddystone challenge (26 miles round the Eddystone light), the London Great River Race and local gig regattas