STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club sent more than 30 crews to the Evesham Autumn Head as the event returned to the racing calendar.
The event, run over 2,000m on the River Avon, suffered from several years of cancellations but finally made a return this season.
Stratford’s J14 single scullers, Chris Durance, Arthur Burt and Archie Eaton, produced composed performances but all lost out to home scullers from Evesham.
In the girls’ event, Islay Milles and Eva Cruise blew their competition out of the water to finish first and second.
And the pair then combined in the double sculls, delivering a blistering performance to take the race win against strong opposition.
Stratford’s J14 boys’ quad of Burt, Eaton, Eli Ford, Archie Mansfield and Ethan Siwakowski suffered a cruel defeat against Evesham, losing by less than a second.
Stratford coach, Jon Francis said: “They’ve built on solid performances at Wallingford to land the first silverware of the new season, proving this squad have the makings of something special.”
The club’s J17 and J18 combined squad also took to the water with the women’s coxless quadruple scull of Bryony Francis, Lily Warren, Josephine Cooper and Poppy Warren first down the course.
The crew secured an emphatic win against Evesham before the double scull of Ollie Rowlands and Theo Richter finished third overall in their event.
And the women’s J18 double scull of Alice Jones and Sophie Franklin also recorded a third-place finish with Becca Smith fourth in the single sculls.
The mixed J18 coxless quadruple scull of L Warren, Rowlands, Richter and Smith claimed victory by just two seconds against an AB Severn crew.
And the women’s J18 coxed four of Franklin, Cooper, P Warren, Francis and Jones (coxswain) won their race by two seconds against Evesham.
Stratford’s masters were also in action as the C double of Corinna Burger and Helen Helliwell finished second overall in their first race of the season
The E double of Ellie Davis (stroke) and Gina Fusco competed together in a head event for the first time and marked the occasion with a victory.
And Rebecca England (stroke) and Lucy Scarlett also secured a race win as the pair raced in a head together for the first time in the senior women’s double event.
Stratford’s masters D quad of Burger, Clare Booth, Claudine Pearson and Ruth Poulten (bow) overcame a number of difficulties to finish third as the crew rowed in a new formation for the first time.
The newly-formed masters C crew of England (stroke), Davis, Scarlett and Fusco competed with J16 cox Rory Jones in a coxed four.
Stratford overtook two crews in front of them and used their strong momentum to the finish to claim the race win.
And the beginners quad crew of Sarah Walker (bow), Charlotte Juxon, Urania O’Reilly, Sally Bliss (stroke) and Jen Carey (cox) finished second in their first-ever head race together.
