TORBAY Royal Regatta had to be abandoned with ten of the 28 scheduled races on the programme remaining.

Conditions were not ideal at the start of the regatta with lumpy seas, but the major problem was launching boats from Hollicombe Beach.

A safety boat also became entangled with the finish boat which resulted in a suspension of the regatta to reposition the finish, by which time the decision was taken to call off the regatta with just the sculling events left.

Although the regatta – the eighth in WEARA's ten-regatta championship – was curtailed it was not without controversy or incident.

The first race of the day, the Men's Senior B coxed fours was the major championship event on offer.

Paignton's Elliot Barton, Paul Henshaw, Simon Henshaw, Robbie Tucker and cox Rob Crowter-Jones needed to win to prise the championship from Exeter.

They had beaten Exeter convincingly with a four-length win at the previous regatta at Paignton, but that race did not carry any points.

Dartmouth's David Langmead, Liam Boyd, David Hart, Vaughan Bowden and cox Marie Dayment entered the fray at Torquay to make a three-boat race and, with both Dartmouth and Bideford Regattas unlikely to yield points, this was an opportunity to win the Championship.

Rowing over the 2000-metre course from Abbey Sands to Hollicombe Head, Dart Totnes got away to a good start to lead but soon started to take on water and by halfway they led by one-and-a-half lengths.

The boat continued to fill with water which added enormously to the weight and slowed them considerably.

Exeter rowed through Dart Totnes but crossed the finish line the wrong side of the finish marker, as did Dart Totnes and Dartmouth.

Dart Totnes went to correct their error but the finish umpires had already decided not to disqualify any of the three crews and allowed the result to stand with Exeter winning by three-and-a-half lengths from Dart Totnes, who sank on the finish line, with Dartmouth well back in third place.

Dart Totnes bowman Elliot Barton said: "I couldn't believe it when the umpires told us not to bother going back around the marker and that they had decided not to disqualify anyone.

"In my single sculls race last year I was disqualified for going the wrong side of the finish marker."

The win for Exeter almost certainly hands them the championship.

Exeter C were six-feet winners from Exmouth at Men's Senior C coxed fours with Dartmouth's Richie Jeffs, Chris China, Liam Boyd, David Langmead and cox Marie Dayment third in a race that needed three starts following collisions.

With late withdrawals, Bideford Reds A were left to row over at Men's Novice coxed fours.

The newly crowned champions at Men's U18 coxed fours, the Dart Totnes crew of Sam Richards, Sam Pettit, Tim Whittet, Steve Clarke and cox Merryck Tooley, were comfortable two-length winners from Exmouth.

In the men's championship coxed quadruple sculls, the Dart Totnes crew of Merryck Tooley, Elliott Legg, Simon Kerswell-Jones, James Lovering and cox Chelsie Cleal were distance winners from championship rivals Plymouth with Bideford Reds third at U16 and Plymouth rowed over at U14.

With no Senior A or Senior B races in the ladies' coxed four championships, the major race became the Senior C with Exeter two-length winners from Dartmouth's Jenny Pichowski, Sam Tilley, Hanna China, Suzie Bowden and cox Mike Tilley, who had won at Paignton.

The Dart Totnes crew of Nikki Pettit, Mandy Larcombe, Janet Richardson, Zoe Butcher and cox Chelsie Cleal were a further two lengths down in third place.

Late withdrawals gave Torquay's Charlotte Smith, Rima Bhattacharya, Emma O'Sullivan, Sara Vosper and cox Katie Cudmore the opportunity to row over for the trophy at Novice and champions Exeter were distance winners from Bideford Reds at U18.

In the ladies' championship coxed quadruple sculls, Exeter were four-length winners from Bideford Blues with the Dart Totnes crew of Emma Reiser, Emily Bibby, Devon Cleal, Louise Hawkyard and cox Chelsie Cleal just a further canvas down in third place at U16.

And at U14 Bideford Reds A were one-length winners from Bideford Reds B with Paignton's Libby Hogan, Poppy Disney, Ella Collins, Rachel Tucker and cox Sam Hallett in third.

In the championship single sculls events that were rowed, there were wins for Curtis of Bideford Reds at Men's Novice and Sam Tilley of Dartmouth at Ladies' Senior C.

In the few supporting events completed, Hanna China of Dartmouth and Holly of Exeter were winners at Ladies' Novice double sculls; Tony Szender and Martin Burridge were winners at Men's Senior C double sculls; and Mike Drew of Exmouth won at Men's Veteran single sculls.

TORBAY ROYAL REGATTA RESULTS

Championship of the day: 1 Exeter 16.5pts, 2 Exmouth 16pts, 3 Dart Totnes 13pts, 4 Bideford Reds 11pts, 5 Dart, 6> Plymouth 2pts, 6> Torquay 2pts, 9 Paignton 1pt.