ROYAL Grammar School oarsmen Colin Scott and Dan Bond stormed to an impressive victory in the J16 Coxless Pairs at the National Schools Regatta in Nottingham.

The win provided a fitting climax to a weekend of highs and lows, in which several crews exceeded their expectations.

Bond and Scott had earlier suffered disappointment in their main event, the J16 eights but bounced back to win in style.

The J15 eight was pleased to take fifth place in a tough heat, and showed by their time that they had made up several seconds on a crew that beat them two weeks ago.

Four of their number, Chris Bowen, Rob Trevett, Tom Walder and Chris Palmer, coxed by Ally Rosi, raced in the J15 Quads B event, and were delighted to reach the final, finishing fifth.

The senior squad raced in championship quads, doubles and singles with mixed fortunes.

Dominic Whitehurst in the single was going well until 1000m when he suffered a broken blade on hitting a wave.

But the quad team of Owen Raine, Tom Meredith, Dom Whitehurst, Chris Fenton and the double of Matt Shipton and Chris Chesterman, both exceeded their targets for the day by reaching their semi-finals. This bodes well for their chances of qualifying for Henley.

But the star performances came from the J16s.

The eight took on the best in the country, powering past Abingdon, Shrewsbury and Bedford to reach the final.

In the final they were always in the hunt, lying half a length down on St Edwards School at half-way, several pushes reduced the deficit to a few feet with 250m to go, but with Dan Bond off his seat they could not make the bronze.

The J16 double of Rob Fisher and Rob Hooper were disappointing, but both the coxless four of Doug Court, Nick Baker, Richard Soloducha and Richard Stratton and the pair made their finals in heavily subscribed events.

For the four, sixth place was their limit, but Bond and Scott took their race by the scruff of the neck, and immediately established a big lead.

By 1000m this had grown to a ten second cushion, and the rest were left to fight for the minor medals.

Bond and Scott and four others now can set their sights on aiming for selection for the GB team for the annual match against France.