MAY 28
SATURDAY RESULTS (750m)

MEN: Sen 2 8s Maidstone bt Bewdley 2 1/4 lengths; S4 8s – Bewdley bt Llandaff 1 1/2L; S1 4+ Llandaff A bt Llandaff B 1L; S3 4+ Magdalen College School bt Maidstone 1 1/4L; Novice 4+ Bewdley bt De Montfort University 1 3/4L; S2 2- Bradford-on-Avon bt Belfast 2 1/2L; S3 2x Evesham bt Bewdley 2 1/2L; S4 2x Maidstone bt Evesham 3L; Nov 2x Evesham A bt Evesham B 1 1/3L; S2 1x Maidstone bt Monmouth canvas; S4 1x Evesham bt Pengwern 1/3L; Nov 1x Llandaff bt Ross 3L; Veteran C 8s Nottingham bt Belfast 1 1/2L; VD 4x Bradford-on-Avon bt City Swansea 2 1/2L; V Nov 4x Llandaff bt City Swansea 2 1/2L; VD 4- Bewdley bt Belfast 4L; VC 4+ Ross bt Bristol Ariel 3L; VD 4+ Ross bt Evesham 4 1/2L; Gloucester bt Monmouth 1 1/2L; VD 1x Bewdley bt Ross 4L; VE 1x Belfast bt Warwick 4L; VC Nov 1x Cardiff City bt Maidstone 1 1/4L; VE Nov 1x Bradford-on-Avon bt Gloucester 2 1/2L; Under 15 4x Dartmouth bt Stourport 2L; U14 4x Upper Thames/Reading bt Magdalen CS 3L; U15 2x Evesham bt Dartmouth 2 1/2L; U14 2x U Thames/Reading bt Bradford-on-Avon 4L; U13 2x U Thames bt Monmouth E; U11 2x U Thames bt Ross 4L; U15 1x Dartmouth bt Dartmouth 4L; U13 1x U Thames bt Evesham easily; U11 1x U Thames A bt Ross 4 1/2L.

WOMEN: Nov 8s De Montfort Uni bt Monmouth 1L; S3 4+ Bristol Ariel bt Belfast 2L; S4 4+ Hereford bt Belfast 3 1/2L; Nov 4+ De Montfort Uni A bt De Montfort Uni B E; S3 2x Bewdley bt Monmouth not rowed out; S4 2x Maidstone bt Bristol Ariel 4L; VC 8s Ross bt Llandaff 4L; VC 2x Monmouth bt Llandaff 1 1/3L; VC 1x Exeter bt Cardiff City 3L; U13 2x Stourport bt Ross 1/2L; U18 1x Dartmouth bt Bideford 2L; U15 1x Bridgnorth bt Ross 4L.
Mixed: VB 8s Maidstone bt City Swansea/Llandaff 2L.

SUNDAY RESULTS (1500m)

MEN: S2 8s Reading Uni bt City Oxford 1/3L (sponsored by St James Street Dental Surgery); S4 8s Monmouth School bt Llandaff/Dart E (DS Smith Tri-Wall); Nov 8s Monmouth Sch bt Reading Uni 2L (Peter Scott/Helen Campion); S2 4x Reading Uni bt City Oxford 2L (Santon Switchgear); S3 4x City Oxford bt Bideford E (Robert Price Builders); S1 4+ Reading Uni bt Belfast E (Siltbusters); S2 4+ Reading Uni bt Worcester Uni 1 2/3L (Monmouth Canoe Centre); S4 4+ Monmouth Sch bt Bridgnorth (Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools); Nov 4+ Monmouth Sch bt City Oxford 4L (Mathew Family); S2 2x Reading Uni A bt Reading Uni B 3L (Robert Price Builders); S4 2x Maidstone bt Monmouth Comp Sch 3 1/2L (Griffiths family); Nov 2x Monmouth Sch bt Monmouth E (Jenkins family); S2 2- City Oxford bt Bradford-on-Avon 6ft (Monmouthshire Beacon); Reading Uni bt Monmouth 1 3/4L (Robert Price Builders); S2 1x Reading Uni bt Northwich 4L (Atkins family); S3 1x Reading Uni A (Johnson) bt Reading Uni B (Bottrell) E (Kingstone Brewery); S4 1x Paington (Barton) bt Pengwern (Davis) 1 1/4L; Nov 1x Paington (Barton) bt Reading Uni (Buckley) 4L; VC 8 Monmouth bt Belfast E (Grumpy Middle-Aged Men); VE 4+ Dart bt Belfast 2 1/2L (Hargaden family); VD 2x Gloucester bt Monmouth E (Griffiths family); VC 2- Belfast bt Bradford-on-Avon 1 1/4L (Hancocks Butchers); VE 2- Wallingford/Thames Tradesmen bt Belfast 2 1/2L (Butler family); VC 1x Stourport bt Dart 3L; VD 1x Dart bt Ross E (Hodson Building Contractor); VE 1x Dart A bt Dart B 2L; U15 4x Dartmouth bt Monmouth Sch E (Haberdashers' Schools); U14 4x Monmouth Comp Sch bt Monmouth Sch E; U16 2x Monmouth bt Monmouth Comp Sch 2L (Jenkins family); U15 2x Cardiff City bt Dartmouth E (GT Bowen Plant & Haulage); U16 1x Ross bt Bideford 3 1/2L (Bush House Osteopathic) ; U15 1x Dartmouth A bt Dartmouth B E.

WOMEN: S4 8 Birmingham Uni bt City Oxford 3L (Lovat Insurance); S3 4+ City Oxford A bt City Oxford B (Siltbusters); S4 4+ Monmouth bt Belfast E (Brunt family); Nov 4+ Birmingham Uni bt Haberdashers' Monmouth 6ft (Tod Security Systems); S3 2x Dart bt Cardiff City 3L (Frances Lester Jewellry); S4 2x Monmouth Comp Sch bt Gloucester E; Nov 2x Dart bt Maidstone E; S3 1x City Bristol bt Dartmouth E (Susan White in memory of William A Ward); S4 1x City Bristol bt Cardiff City 4 1/2L; Nov 1x Minerva Bath bt Exeter 4L (Frances Lester Jewellry); VC 1x Exeter bt City Oxford E; U14 4x Habs' Mon A bt Habs' Mon B 2 1/2L; U15 2x Ross bt Habs' Mon E; U18 1x Dartmouth bt Habs' Mon 3 1/2L; U15 1x Bridgnorth bt Habs' Mon 4 1/2L.

(Monmouth Regatta is also indebted to Budgens Overmonnow Garage, Five Acres Nissan, Hereford Land Rover, Hereford Rover, Hereford Saab, Callow Marsh Renault, H Shackleton Pharmacies, Monnow Eye Care, Abergavenny MOT Centre, Made by Mille and Me Stationery, Llansantffraed Court Country House Hotel, Judd Brothers Cars and Commercials, JJ Marine, Elwyn Blease, Tiles of Newport, Charlotte Square, Selborne Chambers, Buzzgrade Ltd, Monex, Monmouth Rotary Club, Friends of MCSBC, Monmouthshire County Council, Monmouth Town Council, Nick Frost, Ron Sheers, Graham Symonds)

May 27
MAY 26: Pictures here. WYE rowers made a big splash with a dozen wins at their two-day Monmouth Regatta.  Dreadful Sunday weather failed to dampen the rowers' racing spirit as 1,000 competitors launched out in 373 boats at the Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored event.  And rowers from Monmouth RC and the three school clubs had plenty to celebrate with victories in three eights events, three in fours, two in quad sculls and four in doubles.

Monmouth RC started with a splash of the wrong sort though when Louise Hart and Sally Evans clipped their Bewdley opponents in a tight race for the line and tipped into the river on the finish line. But Brockweir duo Gina Butler and Gill Stott got the ball rolling on the trophy front in Monmouth Rowing Club colours, taking the veteran sprint doubles by a length and a third from their Llandaff final opponents.

It was the first of four wins for the town club, followed by Eric Froggatt, Paul Downie, Simon Lee, Paul Carpenter, John Owen, Nick Hartland, James Allison, Andrew Barnett amd cox Dan Rosser beating Llandaff and Belfast over Sunday's 1500m distance to keep the veteran eights pots at home.  Chepstow juniors Sam Jump and Patrick Kennealy landed their debut win in U16 double sculls, going head-to-head with their Monmouth Comprehensive School opponents over the metric mile and overhauling them just yards from the line to win by two lengths.  And Jackie Fennell, Gina Butler, Jill Judd, Louise Hart and cox Gill Stott also made the podium, racing home for a comfortable win from Belfast in the Senior 4 women's fours event.

With the British National School Championships cancelled because of high winds and sinking conditions in Nottingham, Monmouth School landed five wins on Sunday - two of them in eights. James Wragg-Smith, Rodrigo Pearse, Calum Kinloch, Sam Dukinfield, Josh Doyle, David Green, Sam Benson, Tim Battersby and cox Harry Davies landed the Senior 4 title beating Dart-Totnes in their final.  And not to be outdone, Matthew Turner, Rhydian Harris, Will Hughes, Alistair Lee, Mark Lewis, Matthew Dryburgh, Ethan Clayton, Daniel Comber and cox Sam Bolingbroke landed the novice crown with a 2 1/2L win over Bristol Ariel, followed by a 2L victory from Reading University.

Turner, Harris, Hughes and Comber had double delight by winning novice fours as well, with Matthew Gray steering them to victories over Birmingham and De Montfort universities before seeing off City of Oxford by 4L in the final.  Dryburgh was another two-time winner with Battersby, teaming up with James Robinson, Jake Clayton and Matthew Amos to win Senior 4 fours by some 3L from Bridgnorth. And Dukinfield also doubled up with Rob Tod in men's novice doubles, beating City of Oxford in their final.

Monmouth Comprehensive's scullers landed two wins, with Hannah James, fresh from singles victory at Shrewsbury Regatta, and Jo Clarke on song in the 1500m women's Senior 4 doubles to beat Monmouth RC and Gloucester, and Rhys Powell, Dan James, Richard Russell-Broome, Ed Stitt and cox Sam Perkins seeing off Monmouth School in their final to land the U14 quad sculls crown.

Haberdashers' women's novice four were among the unluckiest, losing an epic final battle with Birmingham University by just six feet over Sunday's metric mile final after wins over City of Oxford and Birmingham University.  But their U14 girls quad roared home to beat Monmouth CS and their own B crew to land their event, Emily Allison matching Monmouth RC dad James by picking up silverware alongside crewmates Lizzie Grant, Saskia Breet, Ellie Dimitria-Rich and cox Georgia Davis.

It was a long hard build-up and weekend for the regatta organisers, but spokesman John Griffiths said: "We pretty much ran to time with 277 races in 20 hours over the whole weekend, and it was an outstanding achievement considering the weather.

"We had a difficult gusting tailwind on Saturday and heavy rain on Sunday - the third year running we've been soaked - but the way the whole club and our volunteer helpers like Monmouth Rotary Club pulled together was very impressive. It was truly a team effort that got us through very trying conditions. "

Clubs among the 42 entered included both Belfast rowing and boat clubs, City of Oxford, Thames Tradesmen, Wallingford and Reading University from the Thames, Huntingdon from Cambridgeshire and Exeter and Dartmouth from the West Country.  Monmouth School product James Knight helped his Maidstone club return home with a hatful of posts, including a win in Saturday's top men's eights race.  But Reading University took the honours in Sunday's event after an epic tussle with City of Oxford that saw them row them down to win by a third of a length in the last 250m.

MAY 22: MORE than 1,000 rowers from 42 clubs are set to make a big splash at Monmouth Regatta this weekend.

The annual two-day Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored event will see 366 boats launching out on the Wye in 277 races – up 22 boats on last year, with entries from as far afield as Northern Ireland and London.

Saturday's 750m sprint regatta has 162 boats racing - fractionally down on last year's 164 - while Sunday's 1500m event has 204 - a rise of 24.

Clubs entered this time include both Belfast rowing and boat clubs, City of Oxford, Thames Tradesmen, Wallingford and Maidstone from the Thames, Huntingdon from Cambridgeshire and Exeter and Dartmouth from the West Country.

New visitors coming in force on Sunday are Reading University who have several former rowers in the GB team training for the Olympics.

Racing on Saturday runs from 10.15am to 5.25pm, with Bewdley and Maidstone set to meet in the top men's eights race while Sunday's schedule runs from 9am to 5.50pm where Reading University and City of Oxford contest the Blue Riband event.

"It's a good solid entry, especially when you consider the pressure we've come under from other events in recent years," said regatta spokesman John Griffiths.

"The National Schools' Regatta at Nottingham moved to our date a few years ago and that loses us more than 30 entries from our local schools alone, let alone other juniors.

"And with clubs so centred on multi-lane racing these days, you have to work very hard to maintain your entry levels, so after being flooded off in 2006 and hit by torrential rain last year, we're just hoping for a bit of help from the weather this time."

Monmouth rowers will be looking to keep a few pots on the Wye, with the town club racing on both days and Monmouth School, Haberdashers and Monmouth Comprehensive joining the fray on Sunday.

The town club's veteran men's 8 face Nottingham in their sprint heat and Llandaff over the longer course, while their women face De Montfort University in their Saturday eights event and Belfast in the four on Sunday.

Monmouth School face Llandaff in their Senior 4 eights event and Bristol Ariel in novice eights, while Monmouth Comprehensive face Monmouth RC, Maidstone and Gloucester in their women's doubles event, plus Haberdashers' recent Bedford Regatta-winning crew in the girls' U14 quad sculls.

Entry to the regatta is free, with refreshments and bar available.

Monmouth RC would like to record their thanks to their regatta sponsors, who include Monmouthshire Building Society, Santon Switchgear, Robert Price Builders, Monmouthshire Beacon, Bush House Osteopathic Practice, Abergavenny MOT Centre, Judd Brothers, St James St Dental Surgery, Susan White (in memory of William A Ward), H Shackleton Pharmacy, Griffiths family, Siltbuster Ltd, JJ Marine, Hancocks of Monmouth, Elwyn Blease, Peter & Jean Brunt, Monnow Eye Care, Tod Security Systems Ltd, Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools, Peter Scott & Helen Campion, Budgens, Frances Lester, Tiles of Newport, Hargaden family, Charlotte Square, Hodson Building Contractors, Nick Jenkins, Lovat Insurance Brokers, Rock The Boat, Butler family, Selborne Chambers, Buzzgrade Ltd, DS Smith Tri-Wall, John Hartland, GT Bowen Plant & Haulage, Jenkins family, Mathew family, Thos Brown Electrical, Grumpy Middle-Aged Men.

MAY 21: Monmouth Rowing Club are looking for race sponsors for its annual regatta this weekend.

Any business who would like to support the two-day event, which attracts some 1,500 competitors and spectators from all over the country, should contact sponsorship secretary Jill Judd on 07854 892881/ 01873 840246/ 01873 858580 or at nick@juddbrothers.com. Race sponsorship goes from £40 for a sculling event and businesses/individuals can also advertise in the regatta programme.

MAY 20: The Monmouth dragon boat race is on Sunday, June 15, and MRC will enter a team IF enough people are prepare to give or obtain sponsorship. We're supposed to raise around £500 for the boat, but £200 will probably do. If we don't have enough people prepared to put up at least £20 per person, then we will not enter. Contact Nick Hartland at nick_hartl@hotmail.com or put your name on the notice in the club house if interested.

MAY 11: Pictures here.  TOM Lucy stomed to an "oarsome" gold as the GB flagship rowing four destroyed their World Cup field in Munich.

The Monmouth 20-year-old, who was only called into the crew two days before the first major test of the Olympic season, said: "That was brilliant. We just got better and better through every race and really turned it on in the final."

His three crewmates - world champions in the four in 2006 and 2006 - were back on a revenge mission after losing their crown eight months ago on the same Olympic lake, when they finished a miserable fourth.

And with world bronze eights medallist Lucy coming in for injured fellow Welshman Tom James, they totally dominated a field that included world silver and bronze medallists Italy and Holland, who were so blown away by GB's starting pace, they didn't even reach the podium.

GB's power into a stiff headwind was just too much for anyone else to live with, as they won by three lengths from the Czech Republic who came through to beat Germany for silver on the line.

"We stepped it up each race and I'm just delighted with the way we went," said Llangovan's Lucy, whose birthday surprise last week was winning a call up into a GB boat made famous by the likes of Olympic medal legends Steve Redgrave and Matt Pinsnet.

With Athens Olympic champion Steve Williams calling the shots in front of Lucy in the bowseat, and Peter Reed and Andy Hodge making up the stern, no one could live with the Brits through the qualifying heats and yesterday's final.

The crew had clear water at the 500m quarter-way mark in the six-boat medal race off, two and a half lengths at half way and three lengths with 500m to race. And they had absolutely no need for a sprint finish as they cruised home watching the field scrapping for the minor medals behind.

And pulling on his World Cup yellow jersey after docking the boat, Lucy said: "It was just a fantastic performance by the crew and I hope I've proved myself to national coach Jurgen Grobler.

"It's my first World Cup gold and to win it like that makes it even more special."

Two-time world champion crewmate Reed paid tribute to the Monmouth School product, saying: "It was a privilege racing with him. He may be the youngster of the GB squad, but he's a very cool, very tough customer. He's an incredibly mature racer for his years and has certainly proved himself to Jurgen, whose coached five Olympic champion GB boats."

GB rowing supremo David Tanner was similarly impressed, saying: "He's a big, big talent. It's nice to have someone like that in your pocket, who can come in at short notice and perform like that.

"He's come in and taken his chance fantastically. I expect Tom James to come back into the four for Lucerne in three weeks - he won the seat through the selection procedure - but Tom Lucy's done his chances of going to Beijing in a top boat no harm at all."

Lucy was disappointed to be put in the pair initially for Munich, having won bronze in the GB eight at last year's worlds.

And he still sees his main chance of Olympic medal glory in the bigger boat.

"I've done my chances some good this weekend, but I take each day as it comes. I don't want to guess what's going to happen, but I'll put this weekend behind me and just try to step on again in training."

Meanwhile, Monmouth RC's 11-time Cambridge Boat Race coach Robin Williams was celebrating yet more success on the Munich lake, having guided GB's lightweights to their best results in years at the same venue eight months ago.

The Welshman's world champion lightweight men's four just lost out by feet to 2006 world champions China taking silver, but men's double Zac Purhase and Mark Hunter took a gold that was every bit as impressive as the men's heavyweight four.

MAY 10: TWO into four certainly goes for Britain's youngest international oarsman Tom Lucy after the Welsh rower helped GB's flagship four demolish World Cup champions Holland in Munich to make today's final.

The Monmouth world eights medallist was expecting to race the pair at the 1972 Olympic lake, but was given a surprise 20th birthday present this week with a last-minute call-up to join Olympic champion Steve Williams on board GB's four - the best hope of Beijing gold for Britain's men.

And after destroying the Dutch and world silver medallists Italy to win yesterday's semi at the first World Cup event of the season, it's difficult to see who can stop them taking gold today, with Lucy's three crewmates out to avenge their darkest day on the same lake eight months ago, when they lost their world crown after finishing a miserable fourth.

Into a stiff headwind, with Lucy in the bowseat for injured fellow Welshman Tom James, GB simply overwhelmed the field with their power, passing the first 500m mark with a length and half lead on Holland, and opening out to three lengths before winding down to win by four seconds, a full five seconds quicker than second heat winners the Czech Republic.

World finalists Slovenia and France were eliminated finishing fourth and fifth in GB's heat as Lucy and his new crewmates paddled into the pontoon from the finish line without even stopping.

And a delighted Lucy said: "As a kid, I watched Steve Redgrave and Matt Pinsent in the GB four, and now I'm in it. It's been GB's top boat for years and the one we've won the last two Olympics in, so just having a chance to race in it is a dream come true.

"I'm sitting right behind Steve in the bow seat, the oldest man in the team just in front of the youngest, and Andy Hodge and Peter Reed in the stern aren't bad either, world champions in the four in 2005 and 2006, so I'm in fantastic company."

The 2006 world junior gold medallist came on board just two days before the first major test of the Olympic year, when James pulled out with a rib problem only a week after deposing two-time world champion Alex Partridge from the crew.

"It was a bit unexpected, a bit of a shock to be honest, but a nice surprise," said Lucy. "It's not every day you get asked to race with an Olympic champion and his world gold medal crewmates, but it's a fantastic chance for me to show what I can do and press my own claims to be in a top medal-class boat in Beijing."

The Monmouth School product became GB's second youngest ever senior world medallist when he took bronze in the British eight last September on the same Munich course, alongside Cardiff-born James.

And last week, he was named in the 14-man squad for the Beijing-qualified four, eight and pair, and was set to race a new-look GB two-man boat with Olly Moore this weekend until the call-up for the four came as they were pushing out for a training session.

""We were pushing out in the pair when I was told to get in the four and I'd be racing it in Munich. So we went straight out and did two timed pieces that were really quick, and there wasn't much time to think about it.

"I felt sorry for my pair partner, because we'd done some quick times in the three or four days we'd been together, but it's a fantastic opportinity for me to race with the big boys. I've rowed with them before a few times in winter training, so it isn't entirely new territory, but coming in so close to a major event is a challenge."

"I'm really pleased with winning the opening heats with the guys and I definitely believe we can take the gold in Sunday's final," said Lucy after docking the boat.

"It's going to be tough to win the final, but we've improved every time we've been out on the water and after today we shouldn't fear anyone.

"It's bit different to rowing the eight, which is the boat I won world bronze in last year, because at bow you can feel the work more in a four and really get hold of it and send it down.

"It's a great chance to race with them, feeling this immense power in front of you, but I can't say I'm overawed racing it. These days, there's not much physically between any of the guys in the squad, so I'm confident I can give them a good race and I believe we've got a good chance here."

Looking to Beijing, Lucy sees his best medal prospects as being in the eight.

"I still think the bigger boat is my target for Beijing, as realistically Tom James is going to come back into the four. But this is a fantastic chance to show what I can do and win a seat in the bigger boat instead of the pair.

"GB's 2007 world bronze medal pair has gone into the eight this time, so it's pretty stacked competition on my side, bowside, but I'm hopeful I'll get a chance in the bigger boat at the second regatta in Switzerland.

" Although we weren't perfect, we won with plenty to spare and can take a lot of confidence from the way we've raced.

"Funnily enough, though, I was quite looking forward to racing the pair here against the likes of Olympic silver and bronze medallists Croatia and South Africa and the stern pair of America's Olympic champion eight. But I guess that'll just have to wait for another time, now."

Eleven time Cambridge Boat Race coach Robin Williams from Chepstow is also looking for more success with his GB men's lightweight squad after seeing the four win the world title on the same course last year and his double take bronze. Both have cruised through their opening heats and semis.

You can watch Lucy and the GB rowing team race the finals on BBC 2 on Sunday from 3-4pm.

MAY 8: TOM LUCY stormed into Saturday's semi-finals of the Munich World Cup Regatta in the second fastest qualifying after his dramatic call-up into GB's flagship four.

And after being asked to go in the two-time world champion crew just two days before the first big event of the season, the Gwent powerhouse said: "It's a fantastic opportunity to race in a boat with such a pedigree and a long British tradition.

"As a kid, I was always watching Steve Redgrave and Matt Pinsent racing the four, and suddenly, I was being asked to race in it.

"I only found out I was in the boat a couple of days before the heats and we went straight out and did two timed pieces that went really quickly.

"I'm really pleased with winning the heat with the guys and I definitely believe we can take the gold in Sunday's final.

"It's going to be tough against the likes of Italy's silver medallists and Holland's bronze medallists, but we've only been out five times and there's bags of room for improvment between now and the final."

GB, with Monmouth School product Lucy, 20, at bow behind Olympic champion Steve Williams, and four-time GB trials winners Peter Reed and Andy Hodge, stormed straight into the lead in their five-boat heat, dropping 2007 world finalists Slovenia in the first 20 strokes.

They had a length on second-placed Greece at 500m and hitting a "comfortable" 35 strokes a minute, were clear water up on the Slovenians and Germany who edged through in the second quarter.

"The Slovenians had a go at half-way, but Stevie just called it and we just did enough to contain them," said Lucy. "We were cruising really and were never overworked."

GB won as they liked in 6 minutes 32.13seconds, finishing two lengths up on Germany with Slovenia taking the third qualifying slot half a length back and Greece and Belarus pushed into the the second chance repechage.

The time was 0.2 seconds quicker than Holland's winning heat time, but the Dutch had to overhaul another German boat to win, while the Czech Republic set the benchmark 0.8 seconds faster than GB, beating world silver medallists Italy in a race that was tight hitting the last quarter, the Italians eventually finishing a full 1.5 seconds down on GB's time.

And the performance helped to banish some of the demons of last year, when the world champion four with Alex Partridge on board could only finish fourth, one place ahead of the Slovenians.

Lucy's last-minute call up into the crew that is working towards the defence of the Olympic title in Beijing happened as we was pushing out for an outing in the GB pair he was planning to race in Munich.

"It came as a bit of a shock. The medics decided Tom James had a bit of a strain and he was pulled out.

" I felt sorry for my pair's partner Olly Moore, because we'd done some quick times, but it's a fantastic opportinity for me to race with the likes of Steve, Andy and Pete. I have rowed with them before, so it isn't entirely new territory, but coming in so close to a major event is a bit of a challenge.

"I'm as pleased as punch with the opening race. It's bit different to rowing the eight, which is the boat I won world bronze in last year, because at bow you can feel the work more in a four and really get hold of it and send it down.

"These days, there's not much physically between any of the guys in the squad, so I'm confident I can give the guys a good race and I believe we've got a good chance here.

"I still think the eight is my target for Beijing, but this is a fantastic opportunity to show what I can do and win a seat in the bigger boat instead of the pair.

"It's not every day you get asked to row with an Olympic champion in a two-time world champion crew. And although we weren't perfect, we can take a lot of confidence from the way we dominated the field."

MAY 7: WORLD medal rower Tom Lucy has dramatically been handed a dream race tomorrow at the Munich World Cup regatta - in the GB flagship four that will defend the Olympic title in Beijing.

The Monmouth 20-year-old had been due to race a new GB pair with Olly Moore after narrowly losing out on a seat in the eight he won world bronze with on the same course last year.

But injury to Cardiff-born Tom James saw the teenager told yesterday at the 1972 Olympic course that he will be on board the top boat for the first round of the World Cup series.

The former Monmouth School pupil has rocketed through the international rowing ranks since taking world junior gold in Amsterdam less than two years ago, and was named in the 14-man squad last week targeting the Beijing Games.

Lucy was disappointed to find that GB's world medal pair had been included in the eight for Munich and he had been put in a scratch pair with world U23 medallist Moore, but said he was going to give it his best shot in the two-man boat.

But now he's been given an amazing chance to show what he can do in a crew that took the world title two years running in 2005 and 2006 and are GB's top men's hope of Olympic rowing gold.

Although James is expected to be fit to race in Lucerne in three weeks time, a good performance by Lucy in the four could be the break he needs to get on board a medal chance boat for Beijing.

James only came on board the flagship four last month, taking the seat from Alex Partridge after the world champions flopped to fourth at the worlds last year.

And Lucy has everything to gain, nothing to lose this week as they look to restablish their Olympic gold medal credentials against the likes of world silver medallists Italy and bronze medallists Holland, starting today in the heats.

Also looking for more success in Munich is Gwent rowing coach Robin Williams, who as GB's lightweight squad supremo guided the 72kg men's four to a thrilling world title on the same course eight months ago.

The 11-time Cambridge Boat Race from Chepstow - like Lucy a Monmouth School product - also has high hopes for GB's men's lightweight double scull who won bronze at the worlds.

The regatta runs until Sunday, with Lucy's men's fours final featured on BBC 2 that afternoon from 3-4pm.

MAY 4: BEIJING medal hope Tom Lucy launches out in Munich this week after being picked to race the GB pair at the first World Cup rowing regatta of the season this week.

Still not 20 until the end of the month, the Monmouth 2006 world junior champion had hoped to stay on board the eight he won world senior bronze in on the same Munich course last September.

But he's happy to race the pair this time around after being teamed up with world U23 medallist Olly Moore.

"GB's world bronze medal pair has gone into the eight for the first regatta in Germany, so it's pretty stacked competition on my side, bowside, but I'm hopeful I'll get a chance in the bigger boat at the second regatta later this month in Switzerland," said the Monmouth School product.

"But after a stressful last selection month, with all the seat racing and testing, the pressure's off me in Munich, and I'm really looking forward to having a go in the pair against the likes of Olympic silver and bronze medallists Croatia and South Africa.

"The stern pair of America's Olympic champion eight, which smashed the world record taking gold in Athens, are also there, so I'd just love to make Sunday's final and mix it with the big boys and show what we can an do."

Although Lucy and his new partner have only been in the boat since the end of last week, he says they clicked immediately and have shown impressive pace in training.

"It's quite surprising how well we're going, considering that the pairs is such a technical boat, and a lot of the top duo's have been around for years, and hopefully we can reproduce it under race conditions."

The teenager still wants to be in the eight in Beijing, after being named in a 10-man squad for the bigger boat and the pair, but was told by national coach Jurgen Grobler that he's be doing the two-man boat this time.

"I think that for me personally, after world bronze last year, the eight has a better chance of medalling in Beijing, but I'm happy to give the pair a go in Munich," he said.

"Jurgen took me aside and told me before a team debriefing, but I was half expecting it after two-time world champion Alex Partridge dropped down from the top four and the world medal pair were also included in the eight squad.

"It wasn't a shock, as such, though I was still hoping to keep the bow seat.

"It's not over yet on that front, though, but now I'm just determined to show what I can do in the pair. We've had a real confidence-boosting weekend, where our percentage speed times were better than the eight and the GB flagship four, so we've got everything to gain from racing well in Germany.

"The pressure's on the guys in the eight to perform, there's none on us, because we've got no background in the boat, so I'm quite relaxed and looking forward to getting on the start."

With just three months to the Olympics, Lucy and partner face a 27-boat field at the four-day World Cup regatta which runs from Thursday to Sunday, including two other GB pairs, France's world finalists, Germany, Slovenia and China, as well as Crotia and South Africa, though world champions Australia are sitting this one out

"I'm confident we can stay on top of the other Brits," said Lucy. "It's a pretty big challenge to be racing Olympic medal specialists in the paits, but it's a real opportunity and I'd love to make the final and have a crack at some of the the big guns.

"I know we're capable of going fast so it's going to be quite exciting to take on these guys."

APRIL 30: WORLD medal rower Tom Lucy is on course for the Beijing Olympcs after being named in the GB team for next week's first World Cup regatta (yesterday, Wednesday).

But the Gwent powerhouse's China medal hopes are still up in the air, with the 19-year-old sweating on which boat he will race in.

Llangovan's Lucy, who became the second youngest ever GB rower to win a world medal when he took bronze in the eight in Munich last year, is one of 14 men named for GB's Beijing qualified heavyweight sweep oar boats to race on the German course next week, and one of 10 who will make up the eight and the pair.

The Monmouth School product desperately wants to be in the Blue Riband eight again, but could find himself in the two-man boat with a slimmer chance of medalling.

"The last month has been pretty stressful to be honest," said the River Wye rower. "Basically, last year's world bronze medal pair are being considered for the eight, making it pretty crowded, particularly on my side, bowside, where the competition is intense.

"On top of that, two-time world champion bowsider Alex Partridge has dropped down into the eight from the top boat, the four, which I was also trialled for, but missed out on.

"If they go with the eight as the number two medal chance ahead of the pair, then whoever ends up in the smaller boat has drawn the short straw, because with only three months to go, you've got precious little time to make a challenge in an event where other nations' pairs have been together for years.

"It's tough, because we know Matt Langridge and Colin Smith are on the pace in the pair, but they are being looked at to possibly beef up the eight, whereas an untried duo who are the two who don't make the eight are very much in uncharted waters.

"Obviously, I'm really pleased to be in the team, but now I just want to get the crew selection over and done with and know which boat I'm in.

"I want to be in the eight after last year, and think I can make it go faster, but it's really tight and selection's not down to me.

"If I'm in the pair, then fair enough, I'll give it everything I've got, but I want to know as soon as possible and not be going to China as a last-minute support combination.'

Cardiff-born Tom James has taken Partridge's place in the GB flagship four that will defend the Olympic titles won in Sydney and Athens by the likes of Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent.

But with the four sorted out, Lucy said that illnesses and injuries had hit the rest of the squad's preparations, muddying the waters about who would be on board the eight for the World Cup series in Munich, Lucerne and Poznan, followed by the Olympics.

He said he has been rowing in the eight, including last weekend when they posted some impressive training times, but is still none the wiser about the final crew.

"I think I've done well in the build-up, but it's not my decision on who races in what and it's become very difficult to call," said Lucy, who has been rowing 180 miles a week with the GB squad, plus heavy weights and circuits in a three-sessions-a-day regime, and has been to six punishing overseas training camps over the winter.

"The rowing mileage has been hellish, really physically demanding. A lot of the time you're just fit to drop.

"We went to Breisach on the French/German border at the end of September, then to a high-altitude rowing machine and weights camp at a sports complex high in Spain's Sierra Nevada mountains in November.

"There's nothing to do up there apart from work yourself into the ground in the thin air, and it's a struggle to stay sane.

"Then we went cross-country skiing after Christmas, which was really tough for me as I've never done it before, followed by a three-week February camp rowing miles and miles in Seville, the GB trials regatta in Belgium in March and another rowing camp in Italy this month.

"It will be a relief to finally get out and race in Munich next week, and hopefully I'll be on board the eight. Things can still change in the team over the next month or so, but time's getting short now to the Olympics and every day closer makes changes less likely, so you want to be in a key boat.

"Munich's got happy memories last year after we chased home Canada and Germany for bronze at last year's worlds, but the crew will need to push on from that and hit the ground running, as there's precious little time to spell out your Olympic credentials. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to show what I can do, but I'm sweating on the decision."

MARCH 11: WORLD medal rower Tom Lucy moved a step closer to taking a fast boat to China, winning the B final to finish seventh overall at the GB final trials regatta in Belgium.

With 14 GB seats qualified in Beijing in the eight, four and pair, a top-seven finish in the pairs race-off puts the Llangovan rower in the frame for a place at the Olympics, although crews won't be selected until more seat racing at the British rowing HQ near Reading this week.

In fact, the 19-year-old's performance with Marcus Bateman deserved better than seventh after a tough semi-final draw saw them narrowly squeezed out of a top-three qualifying slot in fourth, but in a time that would have seen them second in the other heat.

The former Monmouth School rower's boat powered into second place early on in the semi in a bid to try and grab a qualifying slot.

But they were just pipped by a length for third in the run-in by two-time world champion Alex Partridge and Lucy's 2007 world 8s bronze medal crewmate Rick Egington, with winners Colin Smith and Cardiff-born Tom James another length in front.

And Lucy and partner would have come fifth in the main final on their winning B final time, as they stormed into an early lead and then held off a late surge from Tom Broadway and Tom Burton by just 0.14 seconds in six minutes 45.17 seconds.

Overall winners for the fourth year running were two-time world four champions Peter Reed and Andy Hodge in six minutes 32.33 seconds, with Smith and James second in 6.37.60 and Partridge and Egington third in 6.40.93.

Last year, Lucy, then just 18, finished an amazing third at the trials after being paired with world pairs medallist Smith at the last minute.

But Lucy's partner this time, Bateman, was less experienced, and it was still a good result by the former world junior champion that will do his Beijing chances no harm, with some tough days of seat racing to come.

Seat racing is a peculiar form of water torture unique to rowing, where matched crews race each other, but individuals in the boats are trialed against someone else by swapping between the two crews.

Selection for the first World Cup regatta in Munich will then follow, and good performances in the three-regatta series will ensure selection for the Olympics.

Meanwhile, Lucy's old school Monmouth raced home a creditable 17th in the national Schools' Head on the Boat Race course in London, just pipping an Evesham RC crew containing eight GB U16 caps. Royal Shrewsbury won the 2 1/4 mile 260-boat race in nine minutes 39 seconds, with Monmouth's eight crossing in 10.07, four seconds behind Radley.

Sister school Haberdashers' Monmouth were fifth out of 12 in championship girl eights, finishing 37 seconds behind winners Lady Eleanor Holles in 11.33 and one second up on Kingston in sixth.

The boy school were a useful third in their U16 B 8 class in 10.54, two seconds behind Reading Bluecoats, while the U18 four was 11th in 11.35, the U16 four eighth in 12.18 and the U15 8 fourth out of 11 in their B category event, racing over the shorter course in 6.50 to beat Eton College by six seconds. The girls U16 8 were ninth in their category in 12.51.

MARCH 3:

WORLD medal rower Tom Lucy faces the biggest race of his rowing life to date at the GB final trials regatta in Belgium this weekend.

Selection for the World Cup series and then the Beijing Olympics depends on a good performance in the pairs trial, where the 19-year-old Llangovan powerhouse races with GB cap Marcus Bateman.

Last year in Hazewinckel, he teamed up with Oxford Blue Colin Smith at short notice and the duo stormed home third overall, catapulting the former Monmouth School pupil into the GB eight that lifted bronze at the world championships in Munich.

With the finals on Monday, competition will be tougher than ever in Olympic year as rowers bid to take a fast boat to China. But Lucy on current form should be in the frame for one of the 14 seats available in the eight, four and pair.

Meanwhile, Monmouth School's rowing eight put in an impressive performance to win their class at the Worcester Head of the River - beating some of the country's top schools.

They warmed up for this week's national Schools' Head over the reverse Boat Race course in London by beating Hampton and St Edwards on the River Severn, as well as Worcester RC's senior men, one of the best clubs in the west of England.

In their new American Vespoli boat, the crew covered the 2.5-mile course in 13 minutes 34.96 seconds to beat the hosts by 1.2 seconds and grab the Senior 3 men's class, setting the quickest time overall in the second division.

Only the UK's top school, Royal Shrewsbury, were quicker in division one, their first eight finishing in 13.05 and their second eight in 13.32.47 - a real boost before this week's Schools' Head as the Salopians were first and second in last year's prestige national event.

Gloucester RC were next quickest in 13.45 with Hampton, former school of Olympic pair gold medallists Greg and Jonny Searle, in 13.46 and Oxford outfit St Edwards in 13.52. Also behind the Wye outfit were Hereford RC, RGS Worcester and Cheltenham College.

And the school club weren't finished there, also landing the novice eights title in the 130-boat event in 14.41 by nine seconds from Bewdley RC, with their second boat third in class just another five seconds back.

Sister school Haberdashers won the U18 girls' quadruple sculls in 16.02, with their B boat second in 16.52.

Monmouth RC's women also had success, lifting the Senior 4 fours title in 17.53 by 41 seconds from Bewdley and the novice fours title in 18.30 by seven seconds from Wye rivals Haberdashers.

At a windswept Cardiff Head of the Taff on Saturday, Monmouth School showed good speed again to set the second fastest time of the day over a 2.5-mile course from the Millennium Stadium to Cardiff Bay.

The Wye crew finished in 11.35, 15 seconds behind Cardiff University, while their novice four topped their class by some 15 seconds from Swansea University, finishing just under the 13 minute mark.

Monmouth RC's veteran men, with Tom Penny providing a bit of youthful dash, won the Senior 2 eights class in 12.15 by 14 seconds from Llandaff, while their quadruple scull finished second in their class in 12.53 and their coxed four came home in 13.30.

Seven boats from Monmouth launch out on the Thames in this week's 4 1/4 mile, 273-boat Schools' Head, with Monmouth School racing three eights and two fours, while Haberdashers have two eights.

Twenty four hours earlier, an even bigger 14-boat fleet Wye launches out in the 308-boat National Junior Sculling Head at Henley, which includes five crews from Monmouth Comprehensive School.

 FEB 17:

WORLD medal rower Tom Lucy reigned in Spain yesterday - exactly six months to the day before the Olympic rowing finals.

The 19-year-old from Llangovan near Raglan helped the GB men's eight win the FISA Team Cup sprint race from hosts Spain in Seville, despite a "terrible" start that left them trailing off the blocks.

"The boat was right down on strokeside and someone caught a crab which left us about a canvas down," said the teeanger.

"It was probably our worst start, but we picked it up and went straight back through to win by a length, which was quite comfortable in the end.

"After 10 strokes it looked as though it could all be a bit embarrasing, but we recovered well to blast through almost immediately.

"The problem with sprint racing is if you give anyone a sniff of a lead, they can hold on, so we managed to pull it out of the bag really."

Two years ago, the Spanish hosts beat a GB eight containing the world champion four, and they are always desperate to defend their home Guadalquivir river from foreign raiders.

But despite two changes from the eight which landed world bronze in Munich last September, qualifying the boat for Beijing, GB proved much too strong for their opponents this time and can look forward with confidence to the World Cup season when it starts, back in Munich, in May.

Monmouth School product Lucy became the second youngest ever GB senior world medallist when he made the podium in the Bavarian captial at 19 years and four months, a year after landing world junior fours gold in Amsterdam.

And though he had to pull out of Saturday's 1,000m race in Seville, with a niggling hamstring problem, he is highly rated by national coach Jurgen Grobler and well on course to take a fast boat to China.

Victory for the Wye rower's boat helped GB finish second overall to hosts Spain in the 16-nation event, followed by Greece, Ireland and Russia. GB's scored two victories each in the men's eight, single, pair and four, but with no women's or lightweight representation, the Brits were always going to struggle to match a full-strength Spanish team on points.

"We've got the final trials regatta in Belgium in three weeks, followed by a training camp in northern Italy and team selection for the World Cup," said Lucy, who raced in the three seat he occupied at the worlds yesterday.

"We're here in Spain for just over two weeks and the next seven days are set to be really intense, with 250km rowing on the agenda on a 7km stretch of river which goes straight through the heart of Seville city centre.

"It's low rate firm work mainly, keeping the heart rate at 140-150 beats a minute, but it means we do a fair bit of sleeping and resting when we're not training."

If that wasn't hard enough, pushing themselves through the "Spain barrier" even includes training with drags on the end of their boats for extra resistance.

"That's how I damaged my hamstring I think. I was rowing a pair into a raging headwind, and with that and the extra resistance and the boat dipping from side to side a bit, it flared up.

"I stayed out of the boat doing work on the rowing machine for a couple of days to stabilise it, and it's fine now though, and I was really pleased to get back in the eight for the sprint race."

Lucy, who finished a fantastic third in the final trials last year with Oxford Blue Colin Smith, is set to race the trials with GB cap Marcus Bateman this time.

And with the eight, four and pair all qualified for GB in Beijing, the Gwent rower has every chance of making the Olympic team.

One person who will definitely be going to China is fellow Old Monmothian Robin Williams from Mounton near Chepstow.

As GB's high performance lightweight rowing coach, the former Cambridge Blue Boat cheif guided Britain's men's 72kg four to world gold for the first time in more than a decade last September, while the British men's double and quad also medalled.

JANUARY 27: More than 40 people sat down to the club lunch following a weekend spent clearing out the flood mud and sorting out the regatta store.

JANUARY 26: Mike Grinsell, a mainstay of the club in the 1960s and 70s has sadly passed away after a short illness. He was 59 and died in Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny. Older club members will remember his joy at finally landing his novice pot at Llandaff regatta in 1977 in a crew that included Mike Butler, Goldie oarsman John Wooton, Hayden Morris and cox Tony Alvis. Mike, known to one and all as Grumpy, helped Fred Pyner run the club tote for many years and coached many juniors when they first joined the club, including Sarah Hall, who went on to win the British junior singles title. He also played a big part in the club's social life, being the only decent darts player we ever had, and helping MRC win the Div 2 table skittles title back in the 1970s. The funeral is on Tuesday, January 29, at the Forest of Dean Crematorium followed by a wake at MRC where his family will present his pots and club blazer to the club.

JANUARY 25: Book now for MRC's Valentine night on Friday, Feb 15 (not 14!). Tickets are £10 for buffet and live music from Silva. Put your name on the notice in the clubhouse or contact Anne Butler at annebutler95@hotmail.com

JANUARY 15: Monmouth Winter Head on Sunday is off. With the water currently one foot in the gym, and more rain forecast, there is no prospect of racing.

JANUARY 14: MRC has sadly learnt of the death of George Plumtree, a former GB coach who spent many hours coaching Monmouth and Wales crews in the 1970s/80s. George died in West Middlesex Hospital at the ripe old age of 95 and will be sorely missed by the rowing world. The club has many memories of him on the water and holding up the bar with Alec Woods and Gerry Mulvey at one of their legendary Sunday sessions. Our commiserations go to his wife Kathy. The funeral is at St Mary the Virgin, Church Street, Twickenham on Tuesday, 22nd January at 10.30am, followed by a celebration of his life at the Royal British Legion in Popes Grove. Family flowers only but donations, if desired, may be sent to the Royal British Legion or Twickenham Rowing Club.

JANUARY 12: Gym and downstairs cleared out and the flood gates have been closed.