ROWING: Fourteen Stourport Boat Club crews raced at Evesham's two-day regatta with the current season in its infancy.

Rebecca Stackhouse took the women's senior III single sculls title with an impressive one-and-a-half length verdict over a Gloucester opponent.

Stackhouse had easily beaten her Falcon opposition in the semi-final over the 1,000m course.

But the second day's events were to prove less fruitful for Stourport rowers with a series of near-misses.

An early casualty was the senior III coxed four of Andy Hough, Stuart Peace, Paul Danby and Tim Haywood coxed by Miles Banks.

Racing against a City of Oxford crew and after a valiant effort in the middle of the race, Stourport were beaten by two lengths against the eventual champions.

With two Stourport coxless pairs entered into the senior II event, the draw produced the possibility of an all Stourport final.

Mark Betson and Ian Hough, after some close races against Weybridge and Warwick/Stratford, qualified for the final to face Huntingdon.

Stourport's other pair of Kevin Stack and Simon Brown were Huntingdon's victim in their opening race, losing by one length.

The final produced another close race for Betson and Hough but with both crews charging for the finish,the opposition were victorious by two-thirds of a length.

The loss was compounded for the duo when they joined Mark Phillips, Chris Morson, the senior III four team and cox Carol Hough.

They narrowly lost by a quarter-of-a-length to Bradford-on-Avon in the final of Senior III Eights.

Competing in their first regatta was the novice four of Paul Newman, Graham Wiggins, Ian Leach and Matt Lashford with cox Sarah Hough.

Drawn against Walbrook & Royal Canoe for the opening round, Stourport's crew quickly took charge of the race and finished with a three-quarter length verdict.

They beat Huntingdon and City of Oxford easily for a place in the final against City of Bristol.

With nothing to split the crews for 300m, it was Bristol who took control for the last few strokes to win by half-a-length.

The J13 quadruple scull of Harriet Conway, Daniel Brighton, Rebecca Perkins and Jess Danby with cox Sam Maher were unlucky to be drawn against regatta hosts Evesham in the first round.

While pressuring them throughout the race, Stourport lost by two lengths against the eventual champions.

Laura Hayes and Jamie Morris, in women's J15 double sculls, lost to King's School Worcester after being impeded by swans in their lanes early on.

It was further disappointment for Hayes who were earlier beaten by a stylish Evesham sculler in the single sculls.

The J15 double scull event saw Stourport lose their fourth final of the day.

Adam Carrier and Ashley Price were composed in gaining qualification for the final, beating King's School Worcester by a canvas.

After a strong start against Evesham in the final, the town were defeated by one-and-three-quarter lengths.

Stourport's last entries were all contested in single sculls.

Pete Spencer and Mark Phillips, in Senior II and III events, lost semi-finals by half-a-length and canvas verdicts respectively.

Tom Jones was easily beaten by a St Neot's rower in the J15 section.

Jacqui Phillips, in senior III single sculls, was given a bye to the semi-final where she was surprisingly beaten off the start.

A tremendous effort lowered the deficit to two-and-a-half lengths against her Gloucester opponent.

Crews from Stourport will head to Shrewsbury Regatta at the weekend.