ROWERS will be competing on the River Severn at Upton this weekend, but people expecting a lively regatta will be disappointed.

Lack of entries has meant Upton Rowing Club has cancelled its first competitive summer regatta, due to take place tomorrow (Saturday).

However, teams will race in a pubs and clubs event on Sunday.

Club member Peter Barker explained that the club needed 200 seats, or entries, for Saturday's regatta to be possible.

When the committee looked at the numbers, it found there were only 130 seats, and only one entry in some of the races.

"When we looked at it all, it just wasn't viable and sadly we decided to cancel it," he said.

The club has a history of bad luck when organising races. The summer regatta was planned after three successive Winter Head long-distance races were cancelled due to inclement January weather.

Mr Barker said the committee would now have to decide if the Winter Head should be reintroduced or another regatta planned.

But for another summer event to be a success, sponsorship is needed, so there can be prizes to attract teams to compete.

"We've got some lovely stretches of water, both for head racing and regattas, that we'd love people from other clubs to come and row on," said Mr Barker.

Spectators are welcome to see four local teams of learner rowers race from outside the Kings Head at noon on Sunday.

Two teams from Stasys in Malvern, the Pepperpot Players and Upton Rugby Club have been learning to row for the past two months working towards the competition.

Club rowers will also be competing in scratch races, where the occupants of each boat are drawn at random.

Businesses interested in sponsoring a regatta next year should contact club chairman John Dean on 01684 594221.

Anyone interested in learning to row is invited to a free taster session for Mr Barker's Learn2Row course, which meets at the clubhouse at 10am every Sunday, except this weekend.