VETERANS from Dart Totnes competed at the Henley Veteran Regatta hosted and run by Upper Thames Rowing Club.

The event was held on a 1000 metres upstream two lane course, boomed with stake boats between Temple Island and Upper Thames Rowing Club.

Henley Veteran Regatta has been held on the week following Henley Royal Regatta since 1994 and has grown into an internationally recognised event for veterans or masters crews with competitors from all over the world competing.

Conditions were described by Peter Atkinson as 'bloody hot' with a really fresh headwind. Times were slow but water conditions did not suffer.

On the first day Gary Cairns and Ray Davis met Merchants 98 in the first round of the Men's Veteran E double sculls and pulled away from them at the half way point to win relatively comfortably in 3 minutes 52 seconds despite looking a little laboured.

In the semi-final later that day they were up against the National Veterans silver medallists, Poplar & Blackwall. Cairns and Davis were, and had to be, a little more spritely and again pulled out a length lead by half way. This had to be defended over the second half when Poplar pushed in the latter stages but Dart Totnes won by half a length to meet a Tideway Scullers/USA composite double on the second day.

In the Women's Veteran B single sculls first round Suzanne Hutchings won comfortably in 4:44 against Rijk of Auriol Kensington. This set up a semi-final meeting with Elite sculler Mallinson from Quintin.

Hugh Tubbs was drawn against his nemesis, Bishop from Quintin, in the Men's Veteran F single sculls. Still recovering from injury Tubbs put up a good fight but was beaten by two lengths.

An early start on the second day saw both Dart Totnes quads on the water for an 8:15 race. Alan Langmaid teamed up with scullers from Bradford on Avon and they were drawn against Grosvenor, the National Veteran silver medallists in the Men's Veteran E quadruple sculls. Grosvenor were comfortable winners and this set up an exciting final against the other Dart Totnes Men's Veteran E quadruple sculls crew of Ray Davis, Gary Cairns, John Harris and Peter Atkinson who won the gold at the National Veterans Championships.

An exciting final it was too! After the first 150 metres both crews were level but the stroke-man in the Grosvenor crew clipped a wave upsetting the rhythm of their boat. Dart Totnes seized the opportunity and Gary Cairns called for a push for ten which gave them a three quarters of a length lead. From then on it was a close fought battle all the way and despite a final challenge by Grosvenor, Dart Totnes held on to win by a third of a length in 3:40.

In the Men's Veteran E double sculls final Gary Cairns and Ray Davis matched the start of the Tideway Scullers/USA composite double, but with a bit of a wayward course Cairns incurred the warnings of the umpire. The course correction found them two lengths down on TSS/USA. This experienced duo took advantage with a big push to half way and went on to beat Dart Totnes by four lengths.

In the Men's Veteran E single sculls Peter Atkinson had a bye to the semi-finals where he met Thornton of Gloucester. Up to the half way mark the race was challenging but fitness told over the second half as Atkinson won by three lengths in 4:13.

In the final he was up against Brown of Norwich. This was to be no walk over with Brown just seven seconds slower in his semi-final but it was a repeat of the earlier round. With a strong second half Atkinson won by a similar margin in 4:27. This was his tenth Henley Veterans' singles title.

Dart Totnes didn't fare so well in the remaining events with Suzanne Hutchings losing to Quintin in the Women's Veteran B single sculls semi-final, and Hugh Tubbs and John Harris losing by one length in the Men's Veteran F double sculls.