HUNDREDS of rowers had a splashing good time at the annual two-day Monmouth Regatta, as nearly 400 boats raced it out on the Wye.

Host club Monmouth RC celebrated its 90th anniversary with nine trophies, while Ross Rowing Club’s juniors racked up a magnificent seven, Gloucester Hartpury four, and Monmouth Comprehensive BC three.

With the top rowers of all three Wye school clubs away at the National Schools Regatta at the London Olympic lake, competitors from both Monmouth School and Monmouth School for Girls landed one title apiece.

The boys’ school’s former head boy, GB world junior finalist Will England, also had a successful return to home waters, landing both the men’s open pairs and fours events with Bath University on the Saturday.

Conditions were good, with plenty of sunshine on day one as 800 rowers from 38 clubs – including top clubs Nottingham RC, Derby, Cardiff, Swansea and Bath universities, Staines, Thames Scullers, Wallingford and Oxford college St Peters – raced into a stiff upstream breeze in 291 races.

And it was a real family affair for Colin and Liz Lewis and daughter Katherine who all landed victories for the host club. Saturday’s 1500m head-to-head finals saw Monmouth RC’s Louis Poyelle land its first pot, beating his City of Swansea opponent to the boys’ U16 singles title by 2.5 lengths.

Monmouth Comprehensive’s Laura Willis and Peaches Hale beat Oxford-based Falcon to the girls’ U15 doubles title in style, matched in the equivalent boys’ class by  club mates Tom Powell and Jack Bufton who had too much power for their Staines opponents.

Laura Willis, cheered on by dad Mike, who rowed at Henley Regatta with the town club some 20 years ago, then made it a personal double with Margy Farmer-Kindell, Beth Crossley, Keziah McCann and cox Cassie de st Croix in the girls’ U15 quadruple sculls, winning a hard-fought six-minute long battle with Dart-Totnes by just over a length.

Monmouth RC masters Paul Bezani, Jonathan Keyte, Nick Hooton, Colin Lewis and daughter Katherine coxing had things a bit easier beating Llandaff to the over 42 coxed fours crown.

Gloucester Hartpury, a centre of excellence for developing GB junior talent, also landed the U18 boys’ and girls’ singles through James Toynton and Katy Kalap, the U18 boys’ doubles and the top women’s quadruple scull event by 1.5L from Bath University.

But Old Monmothian Will England, who took a medal at the British Universities Championships last month, stroked Bath’s four to a comprehensive win over Swansea University in the men’s fours before edging his club mates by 2L in the final of the pairs.

The Phil Mathew Memorial Cup men’s 8s, named after the regatta’s former commentator, was another Bath win, as their two crews disposed of Bristol Ariel, Bewdley and Swansea opposition to make the final, the A crew winning by 5L.

And the Alec Woods Ladies Plate women’s 8s – named after Monmouth RC’s late president – saw Swansea University get the better of their Welsh varsity opponents Cardiff by 4L.

The action turned to sprint racing over 750m on Sunday, where Ross RC rowers were in seventh heaven. George Aubrey and Ben Clatworthy took the men’s top double scull event and Sam Boon and Matt Griffiths the Band 2 crown by comfortable margins from Bristol Ariel opposition, while Tom Clatworthy and Charlie Pope saw off Llandaff to the U14 title.

Despite giving a year to her opponent, Niamh Gabb won the U16 girls singles from Llandaff by 2L and Yasmin Howe also raced up a year to take the U15 crown from Thames Scullers, while Annabel Pope took the U13 girls’ singles and Emma Smith and Katie Hermon landed the U13 doubles from Llandaff by 2.5L

Monmouth RC’s Katherine Lewis jumped out of the cox’s seat to win the top women’s singles event from her AB Severn opponent.

Club captain Al Butler matched her with a similarly commanding win in the top men’s singles event from his University of South Wales opponent, while Charley Curtis beat her Taunton rival by some 3L in her singles final.   

In the men’s pairs, Kiwi gap year student Adam Smith teamed up with Monmouth School’s Ben Morgan in Monmouth RC colours to beat City of Swansea by 3L, while schoolmate Angus Whitehead also donned the host club’s claret colours to take the U16 singles by 4L from Ross RC’s Ben Clatworthy.

The club’s men’s masters, with Peter Kelsall coming in for Nick Hooton, won the over 55 fours by 1 1/4L from Minerva Bath, while Liz Lewis and Karen Stewart-Woods beat Derwent to the women’s pairs.

Monmouth School’s Will Solossy, Alex Warner, Oliver Edwards, Isaac Williams-Mayo and cox Alexander Whitehouse came through Cardiff & Vale on the line as the Taff outfit shipwrecked in the U14 boys’ quad final, to win by 3/4L.

And there was more drama in a tight girls’ U16 fours final, as Monmouth School for Girls’ Darcy Haines, Anna Pritchard, Sasha Baldwin, Harriet Leaf and cox Abigail Jones just led Avon County with 100m to race when the Saltford outfit suffered an equipment failure with their boat, letting the Wye crew cruise in 4L to the good.

Their U15 girls’ quad Charlotte Carpenter, Rosie Davies, Alicia Jones, Isobella Laws and cox Lolah Rogers also won a private match with their schoolmates.

Pictures of the racing are at www.oarstruck.co.uk and results at www.monmouthrc.org.uk