FIVE members of Dart Totnes competed with some success at the three-day British Rowing Championships held over a 2000m course on Strathclyde Loch near Glasgow.

Conditions on the first day were fair but deteriorated badly on the second day with strong winds producing rough water.

The West region's top sculler Elliot Barton, recently selected to represent England at double sculls at the 2010 Commonwealth Rowing Championships in Canada at the end of the month, competed at the highest level of single sculls.

In his heat of the men's open senior single sculls he came up against some stiff competition including Ben Hicks of Isle of Ely, with whom he will double scull at the Commonwealths at the Welland International Flatwater Centre in Ontario, near the Niagara Falls.

Preston of Reading won the heat in 7mins 14secs and Hicks was second in 7:15.60.

Barton was third at 500m but had slipped to fourth at halfway, but was still in the race at 1500m.

He maintained fourth to finish in 7:43.90 and missed out on the semi-finals with just the first three going through.

"I was going really well but it was so rough I kept clipping buoys and, just after 1500m, I came to a stop for a few seconds," said Barton afterwards.

"I am normally good in rough conditions but I just couldn't cope.

"There was a lot of expectation on me and with the Commonwealths coming up I don't feel I was focused enough. I finished behind people I have beaten this season."

Dart Totnes coach Will Hawkyard added: "Elliot was just unable to master the rough conditions but he will have added to his experience at this level."

Barnaby Stentiford, 19, was competing in Durham University colours.

At men's open U23 single sculls he had to complete a time trial to qualify for the semi-finals.

He was one of twelve to qualify out of 32 and then finished third in his semi-final in 7:26.67. In the final he was sixth in 7:37.95.

He also sculled at number two for the university in the men's open quadruple sculls but they went out in the heats, finishing fourth in their heat in 6:53.65.

Stentiford will now prepare for the European University Championships in August with Durham University, and will compete in a coxless fours crew.

Rose Willoughby competed at women's lightweight single sculls, finishing fourth in her heat in 9:20.55.

With only the first two going through to the final, fourth place took her into a repechage heat where she finished third in 9:03.50 — just missing out as the first two went through to the final.

Alex Rowe and Simon Kerswell-Jensen competed at open U15 double sculls and faced a time trial with 27 crews being reduced to 12.

The Dart Totnes duo came through the time trial in the top six fastest times to compete in the semi-finals, where they finished third in 7:50.84 to qualify for the final.

In the final they just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in 9:32.25 to give Dart Totnes their best result of the championships.

Their coach Hawkyard said: "They are disappointed not to have won a medal. Their push in the final was just a little too late."