OXFORDSHIRE rowers made a big impact across Europe last weekend, writes JOHN WIGGINS.

The Henley Masters Regatta saw Wallingford feature in six finals and come away with medals in five of them.

The composite women’s B pair of Emily Booker with Kate Garrow (Abingdon RC) won by a foot, the narrowest of margins.

Frustratingly, the reverse was the case for Wallingford’s Andy Hull, who missed a medal by the same margin in the C age category single.

Another composite was the familiar pairing of Wallingford past and present with Tom Bishop (now Quintin BC) and Charles Parry winning the much older H double scull.

They then combined with Dart Totnes to win the H quad event.

Further success came from Steve Pearson and Pete King in the D doubles, as well as Alice Brown and Julia Wilks in the E doubles.

The winning men’s C quad saw Dennis Engelke (Abingdon) at stroke, supported by Phil Grunewald (Falcon), with City of Oxford’s Nick Stargardt and Chris Platt.

At the third and final World Cup Regatta on the Lake Rotsee in Lucerne, Switzerland, a relatively small GB team took part with several new combinations being tried out.

Former Abingdon schoolboy and now Oxford Brookes University rower Jamie Copus was back in the lightweight double scull, finishing fourth in the semi, missing qualification for the A final by the narrowest of margins.

Sholto Carnegie (formerly Cherwell School and City of Oxford) as well as Abingdonian George Rossiter combined in a new coxless four which excelled to reach the A final.

Carnegie made his senior international debut rowing at stroke in the four which came fourth ahead of a strong German crew.

The former Abingdon School duo of Ollie Cook (Oxford Blue) and Matt Rossiter continued their comeback from injury in a pair, finishing fifth in the A final.

A new combination lightweight quad saw Wallingford’s Gemma Hall finishing an agonising fourth, missing a medal by 0.3 seconds.

As they prepare for this weekend’s British Rowing Junior Championships, City of Oxford’s youngsters contested ten events at Kingston Regatta, reaching finals in five and winning two.

With scullers aged 13 to 15 it was the J14 boys who came away with the trophies.

Robert McRae took the single, while the double of Gabe Reynolds and Alvaro Daza also prevailed.

St Edward’s School also plan a rare visit to the junior championships and received a welcome lift with the success of Isabel Labres Diaz in the J14 singles at Kingston.

The annual Great Britain against France match is, for many, their first taste of international competition.

This year it was an opportunity for the double scull of Trudie Marks and Zakiro Klico, from Headington, to don their national kit.

While Britain retained the team trophy in Vaires-sur-Marne, the duo were up against a high class crew that captured one of the four French wins from the 13 events.