MONMOUTH Rowing Club enjoyed two days of high octane racing on the Thames at Henley Masters Regatta, with one crew storming to success and another pipped by three feet by the event winners.

Racing in sweltering heat upstream over 1,000m of the Royal Regatta course, the men’s E (over-55) coxless four of Nick Hooton, Ian Townsend, Tim Male and Mark Woods eased through with a 2 1/2L quarter-final win over Staines before a 3/4L win over Upper Thames by 3/4L.

Wallingford, including Old Monmothian Steve Pearson, also won through in the same 3.31 time in the other semi-final, by 2/3L from Marlow, and it was all to race for.

But it was the Wye guys who prevailed, defending the title won last year by 1 1/2L in 3.22.

The F (over-60) four of Toby Harding, Paul Bezani, Simon Lee, James Allison and cox Hannah Llewellyn-Davies burst out to around a length's lead in their opening heat, only to be caught right on the line by Upper Thames, who went on to win the event, beating Grosvenor by 1/4L and Poole in the final.

Mark Patrridge, who made the final of the Royal Regatta's pairs back in the 1980s only to meet Olympic champions Redgrave and Pinsent, also raced a pair with Bill Downing, giving a duo from top US club Marin a decent go before losing out by 4L.

Monmouth's women’s ME eight of Louise Allison, Sue Smith, Kate Hooton, Dawn Brace, Paula Nixon, Bonita Birkett, Sara Woodford, Mel Brown and cox Laura Cowan clinched a 2L win over Marlow, but despite another sharp start against Shrewsbury crew Pengwern next up, had to give second best to the Severn outfit by 1 1/2L.

Sara and Bonita also raced an E double, losing gamely to Tideway Scullers, while Louise, Sue, Kate and Mel clipped missed out by 3 1/2L having clipped the timber racecourse booms against Scots St Andrews,