EVESHAM Rowing Club hosted the second Junior and Oarsome Head of the River last Saturday in glorious sunshine and perfect water conditions.

The event was staged to celebrate the growing strength of junior rowing in the area and the success of the Amateur Rowing Association's 'Project Oar-some' partnership with local Middle Schools.

For many young rowers it was their first taste of competition and organisers Mark Dewdney and Sally Redgewell had set stringent standards for supervision and safety.

Seventy-two crews representing clubs from Bewdley, Stourport, Oxford, Avon Cou-nty, Shrewsbury, Tideway Scu-llers and the Dragon School, as well as a large contingent from the home club, enjoyed competitive racing in four divisions.

The emphasis was on taking part and having fun, although there was some keen competition on the water.

Host club athletes were victorious in 12 events with the fastest winning crew home being Ali Gregory and Tom Most in J15 double sculls.

The latter confirmed his rapidly improving performance by clinching victory over hotly tipped Beech from Bewdley in J15 singles.

The J14 girls' quad of Farrar, Purfield, Bunn and Chilvers, coxed by Kirsty Merchant, had a storming row to victory in their event, finishing ahead of their J15 clubmates Gander, Wood-edd, Berry and Gayton, coxed by Abi Black, who also won their event.

Woodedd and Gayton added to their successes this year with a convincing win in the J16 double sculls.

Tim Messent made up for a narrow defeat by Stourport in the J16 doubles by beating Jackson of Stourport by two seconds in J16 singles despite an unscheduled encounter with the bank.

Howe and Farrar won the most hotly contested event of the day, women's J14 double sculls, beating clubmates Bunn and Chilvers and three crews from Stourport.

The newly formed J13/14 boys' squad, coached by Fred George, put out two quads in the J14 category.

Sculling in separate divisions, the result was something of a cliffhanger, but victory went to the A crew of Price, Fisher, Bird and Walker, coxed by Damian Crooke.

Not far behind was the highly impressive girls' J13 quad of Baird, Campbell, Messent and Goddard, coxed by Lucy Berry, who took a convincing victory, beating several older crews in the process.

Messent and Baird crowned a successful day's racing with victory in J13 double sculls.

The J14 single sculls was won by Sara Howe and Evesham's roll of honour was completed with a spirited victory for Sym-onds and Goddard in J12 double sculls.

Generous sponsorship from George Wimpey enabled the club to commission special medals in the shape of the club crest and these were presented to winners by Colin Wright, finance director of George Wimpey West Midlands.

With the emphasis on participation, most crews were given either a medal or George Wimpey T-shirt in recognition of their achievement and the club received glowing tributes from several of the visiting coaches and officials.

The next event on the calendar is the Avon County Oarsome Head while the club's top J15 and J16 scullers are busy preparing for the Midlands region sculling camp at Worcester.