ROWING: Bewdley Rowing Club gained five wins at Burton Regatta on Sunday.

Rob Parker, Phil Vaughan, Mick Edmunds and Hayden Hughes, coxed by Annie O'Connell, gained an impressive victory in the men's senior 1 fours.

John and Chris Hinton followed suit with a victory in the men's vet B pairs.

The women's senior 4 crew, comprising Kate Ferguson, Claire and Rachael Henman and Leila Dawney, coxed by Kerry Nightingale, won through the heats and into the final.

And the novice champions from the previous regatta won the event convincingly in their first attempt at status racing.

Single sculling victories were secured by Dave Merchant in men's junior 18 and Lewis Beech in junior 14.

The crews will be in action at Bewdley's own two-day regatta on July 27 and 28.

Junior scullers Richard Jackson and Beech will be competing in the National Rowing Championships at the weekend in Nottingham.

The club returned home with a coxless quad boat from Henley Royal Regatta presented by Sir Steve Redgrave.

They are involved in Project Oarsome, a National Lottery-funded scheme which aims to encourage 11 to 14-year-olds to row.

St Anne's School, Bewdley, and St John's School, Kidderminster, have been particularly involved.

Youngsters spent three months training on indoor rowing machines at their schools and then a further period rowing on the water.

Bewdley member Jo Atkinson said: "We had to meet certain criteria to win the boat which was one of three presented to clubs at Henley.

"We went down there not knowing whether we had won anything but were able to prove what a large number of schoolchildren we have managed to get involved with the project and their parents too."