OVER 250 rowers and scullers representing 33 clubs took part in the annual Worcester Veteran and Junior Regatta, racing downstream over the 750-metre course along Pitchcroft and finishing at the Sabrina Footbridge.

Beginning at 10am, racing continued until well after 7pm in front of a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters.

In 37 separate events for juniors (aged 12-18) and veterans (aged 30 plus) there was some close racing, as well as one or two unexpected incidents.

Since the school year has only just started, Worcester was chiefly represented by the city's rowing club, with some entries from the Royal Grammer School and King's School.

The strong Worcester junior squad had a good day with the men's junior coxed four of W. Sharp, C. Chesterman, C. Fenton, Str J. Minshall and cox J. Taylor first eliminating Warwick in the semi-final to lead an Evesham crew in the final by length.

The strong form shown this season by the women's junior 15 quad of E. Webb, G. Hinchliffe, E. Stenson, str. C. Androlia continued, first seeing off a strong Avon County crew and then meeting Wycliffe College in the final, to win by two lengths.

Hinchcliffe and Androlia went on to contest the final of the women's junior double sculls event to beat an Avon County crew easily. Webb and Stenson, however, lost to the Land twins from Avon County.

In the junior men's sculling event A. Ward of Worcester had the worst of an argument with a swan close to the finish, and the race was re-rowed, Ward losing to the eventual winner Gardiner from Reading in a large and closely-contested field.

Hereford's R. Francis, still only 13, made a clean sweep of the men's junior 15 sculls, teaming up with R. Baker from St. Neots to win the men's junior 15 double sculls as well.

Besides winning the women's junior 15 sculls, St. Neots also featured when their junior double scull of J. Watters and T. Walker, was in collision with an erratically-piloted long boat. Despite Watters injuring a shoulder in the collision the crew re-rowed, losing to Ward and Vincent of Worcester.

Entries from Juniors were strong this year, squeezing out some of the smaller veteran events.

But the Victor Ludorum was won by a strong squad of veteran men from Bradford on Avon, who won the veteran 'C' eights, the veteran 'C' fours, and a close victory over Nottingham Britannia in the veteran 'D' fours.