WYE rowers launched out on the Thames and the Severn in the first time-trial races of 2023.

Four crews from Haberdashers’ Monmouth headed to London for the prestigious 300-boat Quintin 8s Head, raced over 2.5 miles of the reverse Boat Race course from Chiswick to just below Hammersmith Bridge.

Attracting top class boats from the likes of regular Henley Royal winners Thames RC, London RC, London University, Imperial College and Molesey, the event is a curtain raiser for the championship head races next month on the same Boat Race stretch.

This time it was Thames who pipped their Putney-based rivals London RC, winning the headship and championship class by just 1.26 seconds in 10 mins 53.60 secs.

Old Monmothian world U23 gold medallist Robbie Prosser came home 10th in his Bristol University boat in 11.12.79, finishing third in the senior class only 2.76 secs off Hampton-based winners Molesey.

Monmouth School RC’s 1st 8 placed 13th out of 26 in the J18 class (57th overall), crossing in 12.00.5 to finish within a creditable 41 seconds of class winners Eton College. And their time, which beat the likes of St George’s College and King’s College School, would have won the Intermediate 2 class, headed by Notts County in 12.05.

Their J15 crew also came 13th in class and 183rd overall in 13.17, 54 seconds behind age-group winners St Paul’s, London, and ahead of boats from the likes of Westminster School, Dulwich and Emanuel. 

Monmouth School for Girls’ 1st 8 (201st) were 18th in the WJ18 class, crossing in 13.28, 1.07 behind winners Henley RC, beating crews from Putney High, Headington, Emanuel and St Paul’s Girls’ School.

They also beat club boats from the likes of City of Bristol, Putney Town, Auriol Kensington and Twickenham and would have placed fourth out of 14 in the women’s Intermediate 2 class ahead of City of Cambridge and Marlow crews and would have won the 19-boat development class.

Their 2nd 8 came home 12th (248th) in the WIM2 class in 14.08 which would have placed them 8th in the WDev category.

Monmouth RC member Jonathan Ferris also helped a Quintin crew win the men’s Masters G (over-65) class by just three-quarters of a second from Thames rivals Weybridge, crossing in 13.08. 

Meanwhile, 13 of the Monmouth RC’s women’s squad travelled to Stourport to compete in their 4km Spring Head in near perfect conditions. 

In Division 1, the masters’ E (over 55) quadruple scull of Ellen Rule, Dawn Brace, Gabby Miles and Melanie Brown put in a solid race, finishing in a time of 14.50, 22 seconds behind the Evesham winners. 

The WMG (over-65) four of Frances Lester, Liz Lewis, Shelagh Sawyer, Amanda Snelson and cox Bonita Birkett also covered the course in 16.57, but raced for time only.

In Division 2, the WF (over-60) eight of Dawn Brace, Ellen Rule, Shelagh Sawyer, Gabby Miles, Jan Watkins, Bonita Birkett, Frances Lester, Amanda Snelson and cox Keris McShane placed second just under a minute behind a younger Avon crew in 14.48. 

The WF four had no opposition, so raced for time only, with Louise Allison, Melanie Brown, Kate Hooton and Liz Lewis finishing in 14.18, the same time as Trentham’s coxed four, who were second in the open women’s class.