THE autumn and winter time-trial rowing season is already well under way with local rowers racing on the Thames and Severn last week.

Sadly, Monmouth’s own Autumn Head of the River on the Wye had to be scuppered at the end of September, with gusting upstream winds against a fast stream making conditions unsafe for marshalling and racing the 165-boat field.

But on the Tideway in London, the national Pairs Head saw 500 double sculls and coxlees pairs race against the clock over 2 3/4 miles of the reverse Boat Race course from Chiswick Bridge to just below Hammersmith Bridge.

Monmouth world U19 silver medal fours rower Violet Holsbrow-Brooksbank continued her fantastic form from the Paris Olympic course in the summer with second in the girls’ junior doubles behindher Wycliffe world medal sculling club mates.

The former Monmouth Comprehensive pupil teamed with last month’s Scullers’ Head U17 singles winner Lily Anderson, as they came home 17 seconds back on 2023 GB quad scull bronze medallists Eloise Etherington and Lily Martin in 14 minutes 52 seconds.

Nineteen seconds further back was another duo from the all-conquering Wycliffe club, who this year won championship girls’ 8s in the national Schools’ Head and junior quads at the Henley Women’s Regatta with Violet on board.

Fastest women’s double on the day were Leicester RC’s Lauren Henry, a member of the newly crowned GB senior women world quad sculls champion boat, and fellow GB international Olivia Bates, who raced home in 14.04.

Fellow Monmouth Comprehensive alumni Sarah Lewis won her mixed over-36 masters doubles category with Greenbank Falmouth club mate Lee Clarke, crossing in 14.30 to win by 20 seconds from their nearest London RC rivals.

Third overall iwas Wales’ George Cowley, who finished just nine seconds behind the Cambridge 99 winners with London RC doubles partner Ed Marshall in 13.46.

Meanwhile Monmouth Rowing Club masters Nick Hooton, Mark Stewart-Woods, Simon Lee, Andrew Barnett and cox Hannah Llewellyn-Davies headed for the Severn to race the Worcester Small Boats Head, before jetting across the Atlantic to Boston, USA, this week to test themselves in the biggest rowing race in the world, the Head of the Charles.

The over-60s impressed again, setting two of the fastest times in the 150-boat field as they raced the 3-mile course twice, finishing just 13 seconds behind Hereford’s open-winning four made up of 20-somehting rowers.

The Head of the Charles this weekend (October 20-22) attracts 400,000 spectators to the riverbank in Boston to watch 11,000 rowers from around the world, including Olympians, race against the clock in sculls, fours and eights.

As well as the best masters boats from across North America, the Wye crew will also face tough competition in their over-60s fours class from Thames club Molesey, who the Wye outfit will be looking for revenge over after missing out in July’s Henley Masters final.