IT'S EVERY coxwain's nightmare! The rudder falls off your boat, it's windy, and you have to steer a straight course down the Thames in a race.

That's exactly what happened to women's Junior 13 cox Lucy Palmer at last Saturday's Small Boats Head of the River at Reading.

Keeping a cool head, the Evesham youngster steered her crew of four to victory in a time of five minutes and 39 seconds over the 1,200m course.

Without a rudder she had to ask her crew to steer by applying pressure to the oars. It's a mark of her confidence that she could do this while racing!

The quad crew of Amy Rutherford, Danny Symonds, Holly Baskerville and Katy Syvret rowed well to beat a home crew by more than one minute.

The J13 double of Katy Baldwin and Nicky Pitchford also won their event in a time of 6.07, more than 20 seconds ahead of a home crew by over 20 seconds.

There were second places for the J14 double of Chloe Bryan and Coleen Penrose who made a good time of 18.47 over the longer 3,300m Head course.

Abi Penrose, rowing in a single scull at J15, gave a good performance with a time of 18.31 over the same distance which put her in second place against last year's National Championship's finalist at this event.

The J15 quad of Pip Toms, Sophie McDonagh, Amber Grant and Amy Wheatley, coxed by Zoe Thomas, also managed second with a time of 17.32 on the long course.

A women's J16 crew, racing at adult novice level, came in third against strong opposition from Headington School and City of Bristol.