EVESHAM Rowing Club's regatta weekend was heralded a resounding success by club chairman John Lomas as the visiting crews went home with an abundance of trophies and happy memories.

The host club achieved ten wins on Saturday and nine on Sunday, while other big winners included Monmouth Comprehensive School, Staines, Stourport and Weybridge.

On Saturday, crews enjoyed early sunshine over the 1000m course although conditions deteriorated during the day with some heavy rain and strong winds.

Evesham achieved four wins in the men's double sculls, with Baird and Sumner winning Senior II, Messent and Gardner winning J16, Most and Gregory J15 and Byrd and Hutchings J14.

The women's J15 sculls put doubles partners Woodedd and Gayton against each other and, in an exciting final, Gayton pulled ahead to win by three-quarters of a length.

Evesham triumphed over Monmouth Comprehensive School in both men's and women's J14 singles.

Serguei Phoursa had a rare opportunity to row at his own age group and recorded an impressive victory over Eldridge-Tull.

Emma Purfield, meanwhile, showed outstanding form with an easy win over Truman.

Evesham combined youth with experience in the most popular event of the day - the men's Novice coxed fours.

The crew of Ewan Baird, Tim Messent, Chris Sumner and Steve Redgewell proved an invincible combination as they came through four rounds to record a convincing win over Gloucester.

Evesham's winning tally was completed with two wins in women's double sculls.

Emma Woodedd and Sara Howe won the J15 event beating Evesham A and Chloe Farrar and Victoria Messent overcame Monmouth in J14.

Sunday dawned bright and warm and those who had camped overnight were treated to a traditional English breakfast in the clubhouse.

With an improved start position providing a fair and even 500m sprint course, racing was close throughout the day.

Some of the most exciting came in the Senior II and III eights, with Staines narrowly triumphing over Exeter College, Oxford in both events.

Evesham's Senior crews found the sprint course to their liking. The Evesham/Henley composite women's Senior II four of Tina Bonham, Claire Yates, Ruth Rudkin and Maxine Emes, coxed by Ben Tyeman, beat Weybridge.

The Evans brothers overcame Evesham juniors Baird and Sumner in a re-row following a dead heat in the final.

The host club's dominance in the junior double sculls continued with wins in women's J14 (Nicholls and Jeacock) and men's J14 (Byrd and Hutchings) and J15 (Symonds and Phoursa).

James Gardner won the Novice sculls in an event with 13 other entrants and the men's and women's J14 singles were won by Sergei Phoursa and Victoria Messent.

The women's J18 coxed fours brought success for Rosie Buckley, Claire Yates, Becky Rutherford and Kate Wilkinson and cox Tom Rutherford at the expense of Cheltenham Ladies College.

At the end of another successful two days, a delighted and exhausted chairman paid a glowing tribute to Sally Redgewell who is retiring as regatta secretary after six years to take up the position of club secretary.