ZAC Purchase found a silver lining, finishing second behind the sizzling Danish world champions for the second successive time in the World Cup Regetta.

"They are definitely the crew to beat, the gold standard," said the 21-year-old lightweight world singles champion after climbing out of his GB double scull in Amsterdam.

"But it can be done - it's just going to take a lot of hard work, but I'm sure we will get there by Beijing."

The King's School Worcester product and partner Mark Hunter stormed through their heat and semi-finals with back-to-back victories, but knew the world champions would be a tougher prospect.

But Slovakia blasted off fastest, leading through 500 metres by a third-of-a-length from the Danes with Britain just six feet further back.

GB, with Purchase calling the bursts in the back of the boat, had nosed in front of the Slovaks by halfway, where the Danes led by just over a length.

The Brits were close to an overlap at the 1,500m mark, before the world champions moved out to a length-and-a-half on the line with Poland another length back in bronze.

"It was really tough and we put together a really strong race," said Purchase "We've still got a long way to go - 14 months of working hard every day to Beijing.

"But it's not bad for six weeks together and we've definitely come on since Linz where we took silver three weeks ago, in both training and racing.

"We held the Danes much longer than we did in Austria, though when I could feel them going away, it was a bit demoralising.

"We're so close to finding that perfect equation. We've just got to find that little bit extra.

"It's a really tough event, but the Danes have years of experience on us and we're on a big learning curve.

"We've hit the ground sprinting to be honest, we've catapulted ourselves right in there," he added.

"A second silver shows second in Austria wasn't a fluke.

"And to say we're already the second best in the world feels pretty good. This time we got our bursts right, which we didn't in Austria."