A gig crew from near Falmouth became one of only two British teams - and the only Cornish one – to compete in a brand new race held on an historic Amsterdam lake.

A team from Nankersey Rowing Club, based at Mylor, travelled to the Netherlands at the weekend to take part in the first ever Cornish pilot gig race to be held on the Bosbaan – a two kilometre purpose built lake constructed in the 1930s and used as the Dutch national rowing course .

The team gave a strong showing for their first race, with an impressive start putting them ahead from the beginning, although a late sprint from a Dutch team in Vilt saw them drop into second with around 250 metres to go. A final burst from the Cornish club looked promising, but a photo finish showed that it wasn’t quite enough.

The team’s second and final race saw them again starting strongly, but perhaps too much so, as the early sprint seemed to take its toll in the second half of the race, and a late recovery wasn’t quite enough to steal third place.

The event, which was organised by The Royal Netherlands Yacht Club (KNZRV), featured teams from across the Netherlands, as well as Nankersey and a team from the Britannia Royal Naval College, who managed a respectable fourth place overall.

Louise Bienfait, a Dutch student and Nankersey rower who organised the trip, said: “While we didn’t quite manage to come away with a trophy, it has been a fantastic and fun weekend, and we feel privileged to have been able to race at such a prestigious venue. Hopefully we can return next year and give it another shot.

Charlie Day, one of the Nankersey coxes, added: “We’d also like to thank Henk, and the people at KNZRV and Loosdrecht, who have really welcomed us, and shown us how great Dutch hospitality can be. Dank je wel.”