AS Storm Clodagh closed in on the Wallingford Head of the River on Sunday, Oxford Brookes University Boat Club were flying high with two course records and 16 titles, writes John Wiggins.

For many, the wind was the victor as a number of entries – many of them school crews – sensibly declined to row in gusts of up to 50 mph.

But from an entry of 22 crews spread between the two divisions of the 4,250m course, Brookes took away 109 individual prize tankards as well as producing the fastest men’s and women’s eights and the top men’s coxed and coxless fours.

The men’s course record was blown away in the second division, reduced by 11 seconds to 13mins 32secs as the crew of Ben Reeves, Jamie Copus, Michael Glover, Matthew Aldridge, Robbie Massey, James Stanhope, Rory Gibbs, Morgan Bolding and cox Harry Brightmore delivered in style.

The women’s record was lowered by a huge 25 seconds to 15.49 thanks to Grace Macdonald, Imogen Mackie, Jess Brown, Emily Herridge, Annie Withers, Mollie Appleton, Danni Shrosbree, Louise Hart and cox Alice McWilliam on their first time over the course.

All the men’s senior eights titles went to Brookes, as did all but one of the fours events.

Fortunately for other entrants, it was only the elite and senior eights that the Brookes women took home.

Hosts Wallingford RC won the women’s IM2 coxed fours while Oxford’s University College won the IM3 event.

Headington School girls led the way in the junior event.

Though they had to settle for second place in the eights, they took first and third in the coxed four, sandwiching Wallingford into second.

The Masters events were spared the Brookes assault but, sadly, entries were few.

Wallingford won the women’s C eight and had the fastest men’s coxless four, while Teddies’ alumni in the St Edward’s Martyrs Boat Club were the fastest men’s eight in the masters B division, but second once age-based time handicaps were applied.

Of the other local entries, Falcon came out best with second place in the women’s novice four.