CONDITIONS were reasonably smooth over the 1,200-metre course on the River Torridge for the Appledore and Instow Regatta, the sixth regatta in the 2009 West of England ARA Championship series.

With no entries for the Men's Senior A coxed fours, the Men's Senior B coxed fours again became the major Championship event.

And again this event produced a race to savour with Exeter and the Dart Totnes crew of Elliot Barton, Paul Henshaw, Simon Henshaw, Robbie Tucker and cox Steph Brown battling it out all the way to the finish line with Exeter, winning by just half a canvas.

Exeter B won the Men's Senior C coxed fours by two lengths from Bideford Reds with Exeter A a further three lengths down in third place and Bideford Reds B won the Men's Novice coxed fours by a length from Exeter with Bideford Reds A four lengths behind in third place.

The Dart Totnes crew of Elliott Legg, Merryck Tooley, Lewis van Diggele, Steve Clarke and cox James Lovering won their fifth race of the season but it was close.

They pipped Bideford Blues by a canvas with Dartmouth's Richie Jeffs, Liam Boyd, Chris China, David Langmead and cox Marie Dayment third.

Dart Totnes also won the two Men's Championship coxed quadruple sculls events with Sam Richardson, James Lovering, Elliott Legg, Merryck Tooley and cox Chelsie Cleal winning by three lengths from Bideford Reds at U16 and Jordan Hall, Fraser Tooley, Alex Rowe, Simon Kerswell-Jensen and cox, Merryck Tooley, beating Bideford Reds at U14.

In the Ladies' Championship coxed fours, Bideford Reds beat Exeter by four lengths at Senior B and Exeter beat the Dart Totnes crew of Janet Richardson, Mandy Larcombe, Zoe Butcher, Nikki Pettitt and cox, Chelsie Cleal, by four lengths at Senior C with Bideford Blues third.

At U18 Exeter beat the Dart Totnes crew of Claire Gardner, Christie Rhys-Brown, Jade Knight, Jess Phillips and cox Sam Richardson, by three lengths with Bideford Reds third.

Exeter won both the Ladies' Championship coxed quadruple sculls. At U16 Exeter beat the Dart Totnes crew of Devon Cleal, Emma Reiser, Jess Larcombe, Emily Bibby and cox Chelsie Cleal, by half a length with Bideford Reds third and at U14 Exeter beat Bideford Reds B by four lengths with Bideford Reds A third.

In the Championship single sculls there were wins for Lewis van Diggele of Dart Totnes at Men's Senior C; Burns of Bideford Blues at Men's Novice; Bowyer of Exeter at Men's U18; James Lovering of Dart Totnes at Men's U16; and Hutchings of Exeter at Ladies U16.

In the supporting events there were South Devon wins for Shaun Barker, Martin Burridge, Elliot Barton, Paul Henshaw, Simon Henshaw, Robbie Tucker, Lewis van Diggele, Steve Clarke and cox Merryck Tooley of Dart Totnes at Men's Open eights; Martin Burridge and Simon Kerswell-Jensen of Dart Totnes at Men's Senior C double sculls; Richie Jeffs and Mike Tilley of Dartmouth at Men's U16 double sculls; Sam Tilley and Hanna China of Dartmouth at Ladies U18 double sculls; Martin Burridge of Dart Totnes at Men's Veteran single sculls; and twins Terry and Steve Wallis of Dartmouth rowed over at Men's Open coxless pairs.

The seventh Championship regatta of the season is to be held at Paignton this Saturday, August 8.

APPLEDORE & INSTOW REGATTA RESULTS

Championship events:Men's Senior B coxed fours: 1 Exeter 2 Dart Totnes; Men's Senior C coxed fours: 1 Exeter B 2 Bideford Reds 3 Exeter A; Men's Novice coxed fours: 1 Bideford Reds B 2 Exeter 3 Bideford Reds A; Men's U18 coxed fours: 1 Dart Totnes 2 Bideford Blues 3 Dartmouth; Men's U16 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Dart Totnes 2 Bideford Reds; Men's U14 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Dart Totnes 2 Bideford Reds; Ladies' Senior B coxed fours: 1 Bideford Reds 2 Exeter; Ladies' Senior C coxed fours: 1 Exeter 2 Dart Totnes 3 Bideford Blues; Ladies' U18 coxed fours: 1 Exeter 2 Dart Totnes 3 Bideford Reds; Ladies' U16 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Exeter 2 Dart Totnes 3 Bideford Blues; Ladies' U14 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Exeter 2 Bideford Reds B 3 Bideford Reds A; Men's Senior C single sculls: 1 Lewis van Diggele – Dart Totnes 2 Bowyer – Exeter 3 Martin Burridge – Dart Totnes; Men's Novice single sculls: 1 Burns – Bideford Blues 2 Mike Tilley – Dartmouth 3 Steve Marshall - Paignton; Men's U18 single sculls: 1 Bowyer – Exeter 2 Dart Totnes 3 Dartmouth; Men's U16 single sculls: 1 James Lovering – Dart Totnes 2 Humphries – Exeter 3 Mike Tilley - Dartmouth; Ladies' U16 single sculls: 1 Hutchings – Exeter 2 Payne – Exeter 3 Emily Bibby – Dart Totnes.

Supporting events: Men's Open eights 1 Dart Totnes 2 Exeter 3 Dartmouth; Ladies' Open eights 1 Exeter 2 Dart Totnes; Mixed Senior C coxed fours: 1 Bideford Reds 2 Dartmouth 3 Bideford Blues; Mixed Novice coxed fours: 1 Bideford Blues 2 Dart Totnes 3 Bideford Reds; Men's Open coxless pairs: R/O Dartmouth; Men's Senior C double sculls: 1 Dart Totnes 2 Bideford Reds A 3 Torquay; Men's U16 double sculls: 1 Dartmouth 2 Bideford Reds 3 Paignton; Ladies' Novice double sculls: 1 Exeter B 2 Exeter A; Ladies' U18 double sculls: 1 Dartmouth 2 Paignton; Ladies' U16 double sculls: 1 Exeter A 2 Exeter B 3 Exeter C; Ladies' U14 double sculls: 1 Bideford Blues 2 Torquay 3 Bideford Reds; Men's Veteran single sculls: 1 Martin Burridge – Dart Totnes 2 Peake – Bideford Reds 3 Tony Szender – Dart Totnes.

Championship of the day: 1 Exeter 48pts, 2 Dart Totnes 44pts, 3 Bideford Reds 27pts, 4 Dartmouth 17pts, 5 Bideford Blues 15pts, 6 Paignton 4pts, 7 Torquay 3pts.