AN Olympic silver medallist has christened a top-of-the-range new racing shell in honour of a sporting legend who inspired hundreds of rowers over 50 years on the River Wye and across Wales.

Former Great Britain rower Annabel Vernon, who won a silver medal with the women’s quadruple scull at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, unveiled the new Haberdashers’ John Hartland Hudson eight boat at Monmouth School for Girls’ boatshed beside the river.

Annabel was the special guest as current and former rowers at Monmouth School for Girls gathered beside the Wye at their boat shed to honour their club founder and share memories and stories of their mentor on Saturday (March 2).

Mr Hartland was unable to attend the event due to illness, but his daughter Kate Callaghan, the current head of rowing at Monmouth School for Girls, was among those present.

He formed the Monmouth School for Girls Rowing Club at the town club’s boat shed in 1990 after nearly 30 years at the helm across the Wye as master in charge of rowing at Monmouth School Rowing Club.

He was instrumental in developing the town club boathouse where the girls’ school club rows as well as Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club, and helped turn the town’s regatta into one of the biggest rowing events in the country.

Mr Hartland also led the Wales rowing team to the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and was chairman of Welsh Rowing for many years, and helped more than 30 Monmouth rowers go on to win GB caps, including Olympic medallists Colin Moynihan and Charlie Wiggin, double Olympic gold medal coach Robin Williams, and his own son, two-time world medallist, James Hartland.

Rinku Guha Roy, a former pupil, rower and rowing coach at Monmouth School for Girls, paid tribute to the “remarkable impact” made by John.

“Even if you were not going to be a GB athlete, Mr Hartland still made you try your hardest to achieve your full potential,” she recalled.

“In next to no time, he produced a club at the girls’ school that was competing and winning national medals and international vests.

“It is a reputation that has been maintained and moved forward by his daughter, Kate Callaghan.

“Mr Hartland is a legend of rowing in this country and I hope that the new Hudson VIII boat goes on to win many races and lives up to the reputation of this great man.”

Monmouth School RC, the oldest rowing club in Wales, is also due to honour him next month by naming a boat after him as they celebrate their 150th anniversary.