The Cornish Pirates have continued their close season recruitment drive with the signing of four highly rated Truro College prospects on two-year loan deals from Exeter Chiefs Academy, writes Dick Straughan.

Centre Tom Hendrickson, full-back Max Bodilly, flanker Matt Bolwell, and prop Mike Roach have all spent the last two seasons playing for Truro College but now have the opportunity to continue their studies whilst on the books of a Premiership club and training and playing Championship rugby.

New Zealand-born Hendrickson grew up in the UK and is a product of the Pirates youth section. He has represented Cornwall at Under-20 level and was briefly at Redruth describing the move back to the Pirates as a "surprise" and "really exciting".

Bodilly, a Newlyn resident, explained: "I played for the club from the Under-8's to the Under-16's so it will be really good to go back." Whilst Londoner Roach, who now lives in Penzance, said: "I have always wanted to be a professional rugby player and this will be a massive step towards it."

Matt Bolwell is a product of Wadebridge Camels youth and colts set-up and has already represented England at Under-18 level. He cannot wait to get started at his new club

"With the Stadium and Josh Lewsey now coming down it's as if they are starting a new chapter at the same time as me," he said. "With all the guidance now available to me here and at Exeter it is so exciting to be honest."

With their first proper pre-season due to begin in less than six weeks Pirates head coach Ian Davies agreed that it is a great opportunity for the quartet and for the Cornish club.

"It is a great partnership and something we have been waiting a long time to get hold of," he said. "The fact that they are all a bit older means that they can play senior rugby and it won't impact on their studies whilst they train full-time with us."

Davies explained that whether the new signings make the senior team in their first season at the Mennaye Field is "up to them" but added: "We have to be realistic because they might just find it a big step up from college rugby to the Championship."

"So it might be Launceston or Redruth first followed by B&I Cup rugby and then the Championship. But Kyle Moyle went straight from Cornwall One into our team so who knows?"

Davies has already said that he wants a better structure for dual-registration players at the Pirates and sees this development as a key part of that already. If the link up with the college is successful it is likely to progress long-term but Davies joked: "The bad thing for us is that if they do too well like Dave Ewers, Sam Hill and Jack Nowell they will all get taken away from us!"

Truro City are on the look-out for a new manager and players following yesterday's announcement by chairman Peter Masters that the relegated Conference South club would not be offering player-manager Lee Hodges a new deal.

Masters admitted it was a tough call, and bold decision, but necessary in the uncertain climate as he is unsure which division – Southern League Premier, Division One South & West or Western League – Truro will be kicking off next season.

Masters' statement said: "I have informed Lee that the club will not be offering [him] a new contract.

"Given the uncertainty surrounding the Company Voluntary Arrangement and Truro City's league status at this time I thought it only right to put an end to the current speculation as whether Lee will manage the team next season now, to enable him every opportunity to secure a suitable position elsewhere.

"Lee will always be remembered for his contribution towards guiding Truro City through its darkest hours during the administration both on and off the pitch and will be sincerely missed."

Saltash-based former Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United utility defender Hodges, 39, admitted he was disappointed not to be offered a new contract.

He said: "I will always remember the club was the first place I was given the opportunity to manage, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

"Peter said he had made the early decision to give me a chance to look elsewhere in the summer, so that is what I must do. That is football."

The highlight of Hodges' three years at the helm was leading Truro to automatic promotion to the Conference South as Southern League Premier champions in 2011.

City's off-field troubles have been well documented but Hodges admitted: "Winning the Southern League and managing the first club in Cornwall to win promotion to the Football Conference [South] will always be special to me.

"I would like to thank the players and the supporters, everyone involved with the club, for their support... they have all been brilliant to me."

As well as helping source a new manager, Truro City's head of football Steve Massey will also be tasked with helping retain and rebuild a first team quad at Treyew Road said Masters, who confirmed the club's players were now also "out of contract".

Masters added: "Like Lee and the players, we must now look forward to the future. It is going to be a very busy time both on and off the field for the club and all involved."

Cornwall get their MCCA Trophy campaigns under way tomorrow when they host Hertfordshire at Werrington (11am).

It is the first time a one-day game has been staged at Ladycross, though two championship games were played there in the late 1990s.

The sides met at North Mymms last year when Cornwall dramatically chased down the home side's 243 to win by three wickets with just a ball to spare thanks to Matt Robins, David Roberts and Tom Sharp making half centuries.

The win saw Cornwall through to the quarter-finals of where they lost to the eventual champions Cumberland.

Cornwall's preparation this season has seen the annual Jersey tour followed by a game against a Troon Invitational XI, for the Charlie Rickard Memorial Cup.

The Troon XI was strengthened to balance the sides and Paul skipper Kelvin Snell took three wickets and made a match-winning 72 not out.

The performance helped the selectors decide to include him in tomorrow's squad. Also named for the first time in a one-day line up is Jake Libby.

The Callington opener topped Cornwall's Championship batting averages last season and he has already made a great start to 2013.

In last week's Premier Fifty/50 Cup game with Grampound Road at Moores Park, he made an unbeaten 160 not out sharing a double century opening partnership with fellow county opener Matt Robins.

Then, during the week, he played for Cardiff MCCU in their game against Somerset CCC at Taunton Vale.

The university side were well beaten inside two days but Libby top scored in their first innings, making 28 before being caught behind by Jos Buttler.

Spinner Shakil Ahmed has taken over as Cornwall's professional this year from former Somerset player Keith Parsons whose one-day appearances have been limited however due to his captaincy of the ECB Unicorns.

The only absentee from the Cornwall team that played in the championship final against Buckinghamshire last year is Tom Hughes while Dan Davis, Alex Smeeth and Snell have been added.

Tom Sharp leads the side for the 12th consecutive season.

Cornwall (from): T G Sharp (capt), M L Robins, J D Libby, D F Davis, D J Roberts, T Williams (wk), C A Hunkin, K J Snell, A G Smeeth, S C Hockin, S Ahmed, N S Curnow, R J Harrison.

Hertfordshire (from): N V Jeyaratnam (capt), D J Blacktopp, H D Ramsden, J E Southgate, B J Frazer, W V M Jones, M J Milligan, N J Lamb, C E Stewart (wk), S P White, U Arif, E C Ballard, R E Wynne.

Two Cornish clubs will be eagerly awaiting the final whistle of their Carlsberg South West Peninsula League fixtures today as they are both being presented with their respective championship trophies and medals.

Godolphin Atlantic have been cruelly labelled a "pub team" in some quarters but they have certainly thrown that insult back at those doubters as, after the final whistle of their home game against Vospers Oak Villa, they will receive the West Division championship trophy.

Premier Division champions Bodmin will also enjoy their moment but not until they have completed the small matter of hosting third-placed Plymouth Parkway.

One person certainly not taking part in the game will be Bodmin manager Darren Gilbert who was carried off the pitch, seven minutes from time, in last weekend's 13-0 victory over Liverton United.

Gilbert, making a rare substitute appearance, sustained a dislocated knee and after treatment was taken to Plymouth's Derriford Hospital.

Gilbert will be present at today's game and will take part in the celebrations although Parkway, who need the points to keep their Western League promotion aspirations alive, will be looking to assume the mantle of party poopers.

The Bolitho Park outfit are aware that second spot is required for them to be eligible for promotion but they are two points behind Elburton who travel to Falmouth today for their final game of the season.

"We have to get two wins and that's all we can do," said Parkway boss Wayne Hillson who faces Bodmin without the suspended Glyn Hobbs.

Elburton travel to Bickland Park aware that victory is a must if they are keep their hopes of claiming the runners-up spot alive. Villa are without central defender Lee Rundle after an accident at work which saw him miss Tuesday's home defeat by Bodmin.

"Despite our defeat, we travel to Falmouth with a positive attitude and aware that second place is still on the cards," said Villa joint manager Simon Westlake.

Defeat for both Parkway and Villa would let in St Austell, provided they can win at Ivybridge Town today, and follow that up with a result in next Friday's final game of the season at home to Liverton.

Liverton are hopeful some of their players might return in time for their home game against Torpoint who have a full-strength squad available for their trip to Halford.

Liskeard are hoping to build on Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Saltash when they travel to Cullompton Rangers.

The tenacity of a humble seabird chick has inspired the latest record attempt by sailing adventurer Pete Goss.

The veteran sailor, along with his friend Andy Warrender, are hoping to cross the North Sea in kayaks.

The Guillemot Challenge, which is sponsored by Gore-tex, will see the two men, who recently returned from completing a circumnavigation of Tasmania, attempting a feat which has never been achieved before.

Andy, from Plymouth, explained that the voyage had been named after the guillemot chicks that swim from Scotland to Norway soon after hatching. He said: "We thought, if they can do it, why can't we? We know it's going to be no easy feat and it will be completely different to Tasmania, but we are confident we can not only make the crossing, but make it safely."

Pete, who lives in East Cornwall, said the crossing had been tried before but never completed. He said: "It would be very easy to fail at this and we don't choose to rely on luck. For us, the way to make it safe is to ensure the preparation is there. Eighty per cent of what will keep us safe will be done before we dip our paddles into the water."

They plan to set off from the most easterly point of the Shetland Islands when a weather window permits in June. The non-stop 200-mile crossing is expected to take four days. Readers can follow their progress via a tracker at petegoss.com

Lifeguards will begin patrols at 22 of the Westcountry's beaches this weekend, as the level of cover is stepped up for the bank holiday.

Some of the RNLI lifeguards in Devon and Cornwall have already been in action this year, responding to a number of incidents when they patrolled Cornish and Devon beaches during the Easter holidays.

The charity will begin its full-time summer cover of 22 beaches this weekend and then will extend that by a further 51 by July 6.

Senior lifeguard manager Steve Instance said the RNLI would encourage people to go to lifeguarded beaches: "The summer season is now upon us. Beachgoers are expected to make the most of the bank holiday weekend and that means that we expect the lifeguards to be busy."

Between May and November last year, there were nearly 5.4 million visitors to the region's RNLI lifeguarded beaches and the charity's lifeguards dealt with 7,851 incidents, assisted 9,063 people and saved 36 lives.

The beaches in Cornwall that will be patrolled are Sharrow, Praa Sands, Gwithian, Hayle Towans, Porthmeor, Sennen, Porthtowan, Perranporth, Fistral, Towan, Watergate Bay, Treyarnon, Constantine, Harlyn, Polzeath, Widemouth and Summerleaze.

In North Devon, RNLI lifeguards will be patrolling Croyde and Woolacombe beaches while on the county's south coast, Bantham and Sedgewell Cove will have full time lifeguard cover from this weekend.

Two former Westcountry MPs have resurrected their political careers after being elected as county councillors in Devon and Cornwall.

Richard Younger-Ross, Liberal Democrat MP for Teignbridge in Devon until 2010, won in Teignmouth yesterday after unseating the town's mayor.

He said: "We campaigned on providing a strong voice for Teignmouth. We listened to the concerns of the people of the town and I am delighted that they have voted for me to represent them with a strong voice on a fair deal for Teignmouth."

Meanwhile in Falmouth, Candy Atherton – MP for Falmouth and Camborne from 1997 to 2005, and Cornwall's most recent Labour MP – won the Smithick ward in the town.

She said: "I am absolutely delighted the good people of Smithick have elected me as their councillor. I will try to serve them well. And I am looking forward to the challenge with zest."

And a sitting Westcountry MP took a keen interest in the results. Steve and Pat Rogerson – the father and mother of North Cornwall Liberal Democrat MP Dan Rogerson – won the Bodmin East and Bodmin Central seats respectively.

The three main political parties in Cornwall will be locked in discussion over the next few weeks to determine the future of the council after the election produced no clear winner.

A major decline in the Conservative vote saw the party's number of seats fall from 50 at the last election to just 31, five behind the Liberal Democrats on 36 and the Independents on 35.

In an election where none of the county's larger parties made major gains, the surprise victors were UKIP and Labour, who both secured six seats after winning none last time out.

The Green Party won its first seat in St Ives East, while the Cornish party Mebyon Kernow picked up four seats.

But the future of the council will be determined by posturing in coming weeks with it likely a decision is reached before the council meets at the end of this month.

However, the failure of the last Conservative-Independent coalition council, underlined by former Tory leader Alec Robertson losing his Helston North seat, has seen all three group leaders declare their wariness of making a decision too hastily.

Jeremy Rowe, leader of the Liberal Democrats, who held on to his St Issey and St Tudy seat by 601 votes to the Independent Emma Hambly's 526, said it was important the group took its time before making a decision.

He said: "The split result we have been given is a clear signal from Cornish voters that they want us to work together and talk together.

"I don't think we can really rule anything out. It's important we speak to everybody. I think its important we don't rush in to it. You cant have a quick fix, that was the experience of the last council. I think we need to take our time and make sure we do the right thing for Cornwall.

"We need something in place before the first meeting but there is no reason why we shouldn't take those two weeks to make a decision."

His deputy Alex Folkes hinted at an Independent coalition but said it was important that all the Liberal Democrat councillors discuss which way they want to go.

He said: "Historically in Cornwall it has always been Liberal Democrat versus Conservative, but I don't want to speak for the group."

Independent leader John Wood said the group's apolitical stance was one of the reasons behind its good performance and that it would make a decision in coming days over the best way forward. He said: "The groups need to figure out the best way forward for Cornwall."

Of the three main political parties from the last council the Conservatives suffered the heaviest losses. Despite edging the lion's share of the vote with 24% to the Liberal Democrats 23% and Independent's 21%, they can now boast only the third highest amount of councillors.

Tory group leader Fiona Ferguson said the party is most likely to decide its future at its Annual General Meeting on May 7 but that lessons have to be learned from the last council.

She said: "I don't think we have a specific position. I think its important we act together with a united voice. We were not united, where we had this role and the leader was permanent for four years that caused people to talk in an executive way. I think we need to act in a united fashion this time. I don't want to specify where we might go, obviously in national government we are in coalition with the Liberal Democrats so you could well say there's some sense in that but the in the past (they) have not been receptive to that."

Collin Brewer, the Cornwall Councillor who said disabled children should be "put down", has been elected by a narrow margin.

Amid heckles of "shameful" and "you are a disgrace", the Wadebridge East candidate listened as the results for his ward were read out, seeing him regain the seat he vacated when he resigned in February by just four votes.

Mr Brewer, who justified his standing for election as a chance to let the people of Wadebridge pass judgement on his actions, attributed his success to his good track record as a councillor.

However, his election has sparked a vehement reaction from disability charities with Disability Cornwall saying it was "shocked beyond words" and Mencap labelling it "horrifying".

Sarah Maguire, the woman who led the campaign against him when his comments emerged in February, said she was "surprised" after coming last out of six councillors.

While Labour candidate Adrian Jones said it was a move in the "wrong direction" for the town.

Mr Brewer, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, said he was delighted at regaining his seat but that life had been hell for him and his family since he resigned.

He said:"I had to resign at the time because of the media pressure but I felt it was right the people of Wadebridge should decide on my future and they have decided.

"I've done nothing wrong – I've apologised. The people in Wadebridge wanted me to stand and I'm proud to stand for them. (The comment) was completely out of character because I had a series of strokes, people are more susceptible to flaring up if something annoys them."

Mr Brewer stepped down as a councillor after it was revealed he said to a disabled charity worker in 2011 that disabled children cost the authority too much.

Ms Maguire, who came last with 146 votes compared to Brewer's 335, said: "Collin does have a good track record of serving Wadebridge. I expected I would do better. I am surprised, it doesn't reflect my experience on the doorsteps of Wadebridge."

In a statement Disability Cornwall said many of its members were deeply saddened. "(They) worry what this could mean for us all, with such discriminatory views held by the 'leaders' of our county. What will they think now of the people of Cornwall, who are responsible for voting for someone who holds and speaks such disparaging views?"

Record numbers of boats will go under starter's orders today when the World Pilot Gig Championships gets under way on the Isles of Scilly.

The event, the 24th time it has been held, has defied predictions it has become too big and too expensive and grown every year.

This weekend's contest sees an expected 133-135 boats line up for the grand event this afternoon.

Rick Persich, chairman of the championship committee, said it promised to be an exciting weekend of sport.

"It's lining up to be another great competition," he said.

"The organisation has been smooth and there have been no hiccups at all.

"The weather is looking OK and we're ready on the Scillies and waiting for all the gig rowers to come and show us the high standards and good sportsmanship that we expect."

The weekend, which officially kicks starts the gig racing season, starts with the veterans events which were held last night and featured a fiercely fought 1.6 nautical mile race between St Agnes and the main island of St Mary's.

Today, the iconic long line race which features every gig and every team, will be powering the same course for women's and then men's contests.

Each race, which establishes a seeding position for subsequent heats leading to the finals tomorrow, will each be watched by thousands of spectators screaming their support from the island pleasure boats which follow the races.

This year Falmouth Gig Club will be hoping to secure an unprecedented consecutive hat trick of double victories in the men's and women's events.

One of the home teams, St Mary's, will also vying for the top spot in the ladies contest after winning a respectable runner up place last year.

The ever popular Dutch team are the sole international representatives and this year have a secret weapon in the form of a newly commissioned gig, the Sea Hero, built on the Scillies by Peter Martin.

Seven new gigs will be on the starting line, including newcomers the Langstone Cutters Gig Club, based near Portsmouth in the Hampshire.

A crew from Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth is another making its debut on Scilly having initially got together to row in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames last year.

Since then they have caught the gig racing bug and taken part in a number of local races in their boat Leander, donated by the Britannia Association. The crew will go to the world championships off the back of a win in the recent Head of the Dart race and team captain Commander GeoffWintle said they were ready to lift more trophies.

"The team is raring to go," he said.

"We have trained hard for this event and we are all fitter than we were four months ago.

"Most of us never imagined that 10 months on from the Diamond Jubilee Pageant, we would have competed in several races and would be taking part in the world championships.

"Our recent outing in the Head of the Dart race has given us bags of confidence and we are looking for a good group result over the bank holiday weekend."

While gig numbers are up again this year, it is thought the recession will deter many supporters from making the expensive trip to the Scillies.

There have also been fears that the event, which started with just 17 boats and was named World Championships as a bit of a laugh, had reached a natural capacity.

However, Mr Persich rejected this and said it was a case of the more the merrier.

"We are still capable of running the event here on the island and all the rowers that want to come and compete are very much welcome to do so.

"There is no intention of endeavouring to limit the number of gigs.

"It is just not what this championship is about, which is that it is something for everybody to be a part of."

HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling for Collin Brewer to resign his newly won place on Cornwall Council.

The controversial politician resigned in February after it was revealed he said disabled children should be put down because they cost the authority too much.

But news that he had narrowly secured re-election to represent Wadebridge East at County Hall yesterday has seen many people using social networking to vent their anger.

An e-petition has already attracted nearly 700 names and a new Facebook page entitled Colin Brewer Should Resign Again has gained over 200 followers since going live last night.

"I set this Facebook group up after he was re-elected and was very upset that after his comments he wanted to stand again and thought the Cornish people would forget what he had said and let him get away with it," James Ball who set up the Facebook page.

"He can't be that arrogant and think we are all going to sit back and let him carry on.

"This man should not be in power of any kind and if we get him to resign again it will show that we will not stand for this kind of behaviour."

Mr Ball from Troon near Camborne, who has to use a wheelchair after damaging his hips and knees through years of playing rugby and working in the building trade, said he was shocked that Mr Brewer was voted in again.

"Just because you have a disability does not mean you are a drain, you can do just as much you just find a different way of doing it," he said.

Calling on the Government to ask Mr Brewer to stand down, the e-petition reads: "This man does not deserve to be in a position of power for his disgusting comments about disabled children.

"You should ask him to resign or get his council to fire him."

With the news that he had beaten nearest political rival Liberal Democrat Stephen Knightley by just four votes still sinking in for Mr Brewer, an online storm is gathering with people also taking to Twitter to share their frustration at his re-election.

Lewis Nicholls‏tweeted: "Why on earth was CollinBrewer re- elected for Cornwall after his comments towards disabled children? Just wrong."

And Steve Hardy‏said: "Shocking this man was elected again to office."

Speaking after yesterday's  council win, Mr Brewer said his time away from office had been 'hell' and he had received torrents of abuse

"I had to resign at the time because of the media pressure but I felt it was right the people of Wadebridge should decide on my future and they have decided," he said.

The UK Independence Party has won its first council seats in the Westcountry as Nigel Farage's party hailed breakthrough local elections.

At Cornwall Council, the first election since becoming a "super" authority in 2009 saw the Conservatives ousted as the biggest group, with a hung vote possibly leading to a "rainbow" coalition of diverse freshly-elected politicians.

The eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP) won six seats from a standing start, Labour made seven gains to now boast eight councillors and the Green Party secured its first councillor on Cornwall Council. Talks last night began among the two biggest groups, the Liberal Democrats, followed by Independents, over a deal.

While Lib Dem central office will be pleased gains were made in Cornwall, Devon was closer to a disaster for the party, taking a bigger hit than the Tories for national Government policies. The Conservatives retained their majority, and increased the lead over the Lib Dems to 29 seats.

The Lib Dems slumped to nine councillors – their worst showing since the 1970s – as UKIP secured four seats at Devon's county hall. Labour made gains and now trail the Lib Dems by just two seats.

Meanwhile, amid heckles, Collin Brewer, the Cornwall councillor who said disabled children "should be put down", was re-elected by four votes in Wadebridge.

Two former Westcountry MPs – ex-Falmouth Labour MP Candy Atherton, and former Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross – returned to the fray as councillors.

UKIP campaigners said the first wins in the region undermined the "nutters, fruitcakes and loonies" labels tagged to them by critics.

Alec Yates, UKIP's Devon news co-ordinator, said the party was becoming "a national force" which had the Tories "worried".

"They called us nutters, fruitcakes and loonies but we have proved to a lot of voters that we are just ordinary people," he added.

Nationally, UKIP gained at least 88 county councillors and secured second place in the South Shields parliamentary by-election.

With full results from 26 county councils in, Conservatives had lost 233 councillors and Liberal Democrats 75, while Labour gained 182, UKIP 88 and Greens two.

Mr Farage said UKIP now has "every chance" of winning a House of Commons seat at the next by-election in a marginal constituency.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is likely to come under pressure from backbenchers to deliver more right-wing policies to ward off the UKIP threat, said all of the mainstream political parties had "major lessons" to learn.

UKIP, which has its headquarters in Devon and already has two Euro-MPs in Brussels representing the South West, secured 23% of the vote in Devon (only the Conservatives got higher) and 15% in Cornwall (the fourth biggest share).

The two council seats in Bideford, north Devon, were both UKIP gains from the Tories, it emerged yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives held both Somerset and Dorset councils. But UKIP again secured their first seats on the authorities, coming as it attempts to broaden its appeal beyond its eurosceptic roots to also campaign against wind farms and champion grammar schools – traditional Tory territory.

Cornwall Conservative MP George Eustice said the party was already implementing policies to cut immigration and scale back immigration but it had to "get much better at making sure we are getting the message out there".

The Labour Party, which has long struggled in the Westcountry shires, offered hope to leader Ed Miliband's One Nation philosophy by making unexpected gains throughout Devon and Cornwall.

Michael Bunney, successful Labour candidate in Mevagissey, South East Cornwall, said: "We listened to ordinary working people and I think that's why people voted for us."

Lib Dems in Cornwall were pleased too. MP Stephen Gilbert said: "It's been a strong day for the Lib Dems in Cornwall. I think the reflects not so much the national picture but the feelings and concerns of people in Cornwall."