OXFORD City Royal Regatta’s 175th year of competition saw wind and rain – but victories for all the local clubs, writes John Wiggins.

With racing on the River Isis since 1841, the regatta nowadays runs over two days offering a 1000m course on the first and a 500m sprint on the second.

While many of the club’s membership were busy running the event, they made time for some racing and achieved a high proportion of wins, predominantly in sculling boats.

There was singular glory for James Green in IM3, as well as Josie Nash (J14) and Eloise Stretton (J15).

Further success came with doubles in WIM3, IM2 and mixed Elite, and on the second day via the WJ14 along with the women’s novice quad and the men’s IM2 pair.

Immediate neighbours, Falcon RC were surprisingly low on trophies, but celebrated victory for singles, Naomi Sharma (Masters C) and Ed Sharp (J14) as well as their WJ15 double.

Also on home waters were the Oxford Colleges, with multiple wins in eights for Green Templeton (WIM2 & WIM3), Wolfson (WIM3) and St Catherine’s (IM3).

In fours, Wolfson won the WIM3, while Somerville and Exeter triumphed in the novice race.

Merton were successful in the IM2 and Magdalen in the IM3.

Single scullers were also triumphant from Oriel and Wadham, while Magdalen took the novice doubles.

Oxford Academicals found their form on the second day with wins in the WIM2 eight and for Diarmuid Fehily in the Masters E single.

Abingdon RC turned up en masse, though, with the exception of the WJ14 double (Amy Ware and Leonie Watson), their successes came solely in singles, including Jamie Sudlow (J18) and Ross Fergus (IM3).

For Masters scullers, Paul Godsave (D) and Dave Reeve (B), victory in the singles was consolation for twice losing out in the double, to St Edward’s Martyrs BC (Hamish Roots and John Wiggins) and to Wallingford’s stalwarts Pete King and Mike Edge.

Wallingford were frustrated that many of their entries did not make it to the regatta with insufficient opposition, but found fortune in the WIM3 double for Leigh-Ann Bard and Jen Collum.

They triumphed again in the WIM2 with Collum sculling with Tori Bellamy.

Meanwhile, the World Rowing Championships for non-Olympic events, U23s and Juniors started this week in Rotterdam.

With their coach Ben Reed in attendance, the Wallingford lightweight women, Brianna Stubbs and Ellie Piggott feature in the quad, Gemma Hall in the single and Mary Wilson, the U23 quad.

All expect to progress to the A finals as do the many students from Oxford’s two universities.

Abingdon School’s Tom Digby hopes to increase his world junior medal tally while upgrading his two silvers to gold in the quad scull.