A COMBINED Oxfordshire crew won the final of the D category coxed fours at the Henley Masters Regatta, writes John Wiggins.

City of Oxford and Abingdon clubs joined up to provide a four, steered by Nanda Pirie from the Oxford University Lightweight Women’s RC, to defeat Stratford -upon-Avon in the 50-plus age group.

This victory made up for a loss in the D eights and a similar fate suffered by Wallingford RC in the E eights.

For once the Wallingford women came away empty-handed, but not so the older men.

Charles Parry picked up two victors medals – with Tom Bishop in the H double sculls and then with Sean Morris and a Durham RC oarsman – in the H quad sculls.

Another Wallingford veteran, Andy Hull, went it alone to capture the C category single sculls.

Meanwhile, at the Kingston Regatta, City of Oxford’s juniors gained four wins in the sprints to secure the Victor Ludorum trophy.

Martha Stasinaki and Brona Ruiseal won the J14 doubles, while Josie Nash, Sinead Turner-Frick, Bella Bowley, Eilish Turner-Frick and cox Evie Tinegate triumped in the J15 quads.

Billy Bingham-Hall, Gabe Reynolds, Dory Reynolds, Alvaro Daza and cox Benjamin Sherwood took the boys’ J13 quads and Sam Taylor the J14 single.

Abingdon RC’s juniors raced in nine events making two finals and taking the top two places in the boys’ J15 doubles, with Joe McConnell and Dan Jose in the winning boat.

l Great Britain’s under 16 team race in the annual fixture against France this weekend, with Ned Rae Smith and Theo Metcalf, from Radley College, rowing in the eight.

Meanwhile, the European Universities Championships in Serbia feature five boats from Oxford Brookes.

The senior GB rowers look forward to an intense couple of months preparing for the World Championships in Florida, having completed the World Cup regattas at Lucerne over the weekend.

Wallingford RC’s lightweight women, Ellie Piggott and Gemma Hall again featured with silver medals in a newly-formed quad.

And and the women’s eight took a bronze medal with significant contributions from Brookes’ Annie Withers, former Oxford president, Anastasia Chitty and ex-Headington School pupil Fiona Gammond.

Former Abingdon School rowers had success, with Jamie Copus winning the B final in the lightweight double scull and Matt Rossiter landing gold in the men’s four, rowing with Brookes’ Matt Tarrant.

The men’s eight benefited from the addition of Oxford Blue Ollie Cook and former Radley College boy Tom George, but came only sixth in the A final.