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."
