AN armada of 360 rowing boats from 31 clubs provided an ‘oar-some’ spectacle at the annual Monmouth Regatta weekend.

Wye boats enjoyed several wins, including an exciting open 8s success at Sunday’s 700m sprint event, where a Monmouth Rowing Club reunion masters crew rowed down the students of Cardiff University in the last race of the regatta.

The two-day event, which dates back more than 90 years to the early 1930s, saw more than 250 races over 1400m on Saturday and the ‘fly and die’ version on Sunday, with crews and scullers battling into a stiff upstream breeze.

Clubs attending included the likes of Bath University and Hartpury University and College – both GB development centres – alongside strong programmes from Birmingham University – who took several medals at the recent British University Championships – and City of Oxford RC.

Galway outfit Tribesmen also made the long trip from west Ireland after Monmouth RC’s visit to their head race in March, and had a thoroughly enjoyable time racing in the host club’s boats.

The Blue Riband men’s and women’s 8s events on Saturday once again saw good racing for the Phil Mathew Claret Jug and Alec Woods Ladies Plate.

Bath University saw off City of Bristol B in their men’s 8s opener, while Cardiff University rowed through the fast-starting Monmouth RC veterans in the second half to win by 2 1/2L.

City of Bristol then beat the River Taff students by just over 2L in the semis, while Bath powered home against Cardiff’s B outfit.

And in an Avon derby, it was Bath who secured the Claret Jug by 3 1/2L.

City of Oxford beat Cardiff University A and then City of Bristol by 1 1/2L to make the final of the women’s event, while Birmingham University, who train on the Severn at Worcester, saw off Cardiff B by 2L.

And it was the students who took the Ladies Plate in a quality final, coming home 2 1/4L clear of the upper Thames outfit.

Monmouth rowers did well defending home waters, securing 14 titles over the weekend, including Sunday’s open 8s.

Despite an average age of 55, the Monmouth RC boat included five former GB rowers and several Henley Royal medallists.

And they were determined to avenge Saturday’s defeat to Cardiff racing in a boat named after long-standing former club captain and crew member Nick Hartland, who was joined by Steve Pearson, Stewart Bell, Mark Partridge, Steve Griffiths, Mike Partridge, Seb Walker, Dave Kidwell and cox Alice Pickthall.

The students led off the blocks, but Monmouth’s masters at 39 strokes a minute wouldn’t be denied, blasting past in the final 200m to win by a 1/3L.

The reunion squad also won Masters quads from Tribesmen with former Monmouth School head of rowing John Griffths rowing instead of son Steve, and Masters fours by just 1/4L from Llandaff.

Monmouth RC’s Lottie Jones also won women’s 1400m singles by 2L from Hartpury, and Andy Davies and Harry Beech had too much for Avon in over-65 pairs.

Monmouth Comprehensive boated 60 rowers and secured a superb six titles on Saturday, including Sam Willis just edging club mate Evan Pardington to U16 singles, and Bertie Wood taking U15 singles by 1/2L from the AB Severn sculler.

Their WU15 double Grace McLeod and Isabella Davies beat Evesham and were also on board the girls’ U15s quad with Sofia Tranka, Caitlin Harris and Anzhela Lypynska that beat Staines.

Seb Crane also won U18 singles by 2L from club mate George Pustka, and the U14 boys’ quad Gethin Griffiths, Max McLeod, Tomos Roberts, Ernest Tranter and Oliver Skipper beat their B boat by 4L.

Haberdashers’ Monmouth’s WU14 girls Chloe Hall, Amelia Hayward, Olive Seabourne-Elliot, Harriet Ryan and cox Nia Perks were declared sprint winners over Evesham after a tight finish, before the first two added WU14 doubles.

And club mate Patrick Stubbs landed U18 sprint singles by 3/4L from AB Severn.

Full results at https://easyregatta.co.uk