MORE than 600 rowers launched out on the Wye in a record 239 boats at the annual Monmouth Autumn Head of the River Race.

Wyedean pullers took 18 class wins over the 2.2km Hadnock to Monmouth Rowing Club (RC) downstream course, with the

19-club armada including three boats from Holland.

The event marks the start of the autumn and winter season, where rowers race against the clock rather than going head-to-head.

Ross Rowing Club’s juniors secured six victories, including the fastest women’s sculler pennant for 15-year-old Lara Banks-Martin, while Monmouth Comprehensive School landed four, the Haberdashers’ Monmouth schools four for the boys and two for the girls, and hosts Monmouth RC two.

Fastest time of the day at the Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored event came from Minerva Bath’s men’s eight in six minutes 39.6 seconds, with Tewkesbury outfit AB Severn (6.42.7) just pipping Monmouth Comprehensive’s British U16 champion boat to fastest quad scull honours by three-tenths of a second in second overall.

The Wye crew of Tom Smith, Rowan Kohler-Hoon, Tom Heath and Rob Williams had the consolation of picking up the U18 class by 1.6secs from Llandaff RC, the same margin of victory for Monmouth School’s U18 coxed four (7.09.6) from AB Severn, who also took the U18 coxless category (7.03.4) by a more comfortable 21 seconds.

Monmouth School’s Iwan Hadfield and Georg Pfennig set the benchmark in the double sculls, taking the junior title in 7.16.8, and just pipping Llandaff’s British junior silver medal coxless pair by 1.6 secs on time.

Monmouth Comprehensive’s Wales junior caps Tom Brice and David Newman took the open pairs class in 7.29.4, while Monmouth School for Girls set the fastest women’s eight time of 7.37.9 by a second from their clubmates.

Monmouth School’s U15 four won in 7.39.2, with young Monmouth RC sculler Finlay Waters impressing again with the fourth fastest singles time of the day to take the U16 title in 7.57.1.

Just 0.3secs back on time were the Comprehensive School’s girls’ junior double winners Martha Waterstone and Katie Kearsey, who were 10 seconds too quick for nearest rivals Llandaff.

Ross RC’s Lara Banks-Martin teamed up with Daisy Phillips to land the U16 doubles title for Ross by six seconds in 8.03.7. And she was on fire later in the single, beating adult competitors to the fastest sculler pennant by five seconds in 8.25.5.

Club mate Ben Clatworthy was fastest band two sculler in the open men’s class (8.12.7), while Emily Hermon and Yasmin Howe took the U14 girls’ doubles (8.23.7), Ben Heyes and Elic Wales the U14 boys’ doubles (8.33.4) and Jess Taylor the U18 girls’ singles (8.45.4).

Monmouth Rc 15-year-old Louis Poyelle won the U16 singles band two (8.45.8) , and Monmouth Comprehensive’s Molly Mills and Cassie de st Croix were open women’s doubles band two winners 0.8 secs back.

Racing was in three divisions at the Sunday, September 24, event, with clubs involved including Dutch raiders Alkmaarsche, Birmingham, Taunton, King’s School Worcester and Cardiff City.

See full results and pictures at www.monmouthrc.org.uk and www.oarstruck.co.uk