WYE steersman Jack Tottem and his Great Britain women's rowing crew made history as they stormed through to take a first ever World Rowing Championships 8s silver in Amsterdam on Sunday, going under the old world record time 1/3L behind Olympic champions Romania.

With thousands of home fans roaring on the Dutch boat in the last 500m, it was GB, called on by Old Monmothian Tottem in the cox’s seat, who turned on the turbo power to move out of the pack, with the USA coming through late to snatch bronze from the hosts.

And the Devauden 2022 Oxford Boat Race winner wasn't the only OM celebrating – with Julian George cheering on daughter Katherine rowing at four in the GB boat, while Andrew Williams saw his City of Swansea club's Paralympic PR1 singles champion Ben Pritchard retain the world crown he won in Shanghai last year in a new championship record.

The crew’s 2000m time of 5mins 52.76secs is the fastest a GB women's 8 has ever gone and beat the previous world best time set by Romania in the Tokyo Olympics by 0.33secs.

The east European Paris gold medallists hit the front off the blocks and moved out to a 1L lead at half-way, with 2025 world bronze medallists GB feet down on the Dutch in third.

But the Brits inched past the hosts in the third quarter and powered back on the leaders in the final 250m before just running out of water.

GB's Jade London said: “I was so proud of this whole entire season, and of all the girls and Jack in the boat.

“It has not been a straight, smooth ride, but we’ve gritted our teeth and worked incredibly hard every day.

"To come away with a silver medal makes me so happy, and this is a fantastic crew to be able to do it with. I’m so proud of them all."

Tottem's fellow Welsh rower Matt Rowe also took silver in the men's 8 in a photo-finish for the gold feet behind the Dutch, both going under the old world best time.

And it followed Lauren Henry winning a first ever women's singles gold for GB, and gold for Pritchard and bronze for Wales' Cedol Dafydd in the men's quadruple scull the day before.

Paris Paralympic champion Pritchard, who dedicated his European gold won last month in Italy to "my coach on the River Tawe, Andrew Williams" after the passing of the OM's father, had to wait out thunderstorms before racing the semi.

But he then stormed home in the final in a new championship record 8.50.46 by over 2L from Australia's Australia’s Erik Horrie.

“This one’s a story of calamities, especially after the thunderstorm delays of yesterday.

"We’re in some lovely Welsh weather at the moment with some liquid sunshine, so all the training I’ve done back home on the Tawe has paid dividends,” he smiled.

GB also won women's quad scull silver, PR3 mixed four silver and men's four bronze, with interim performance director Tom Dyson saying: "Lauren’s win in the women’s single is a piece of history for Great Britain and, along with the outstanding performances of both eights, provided a magnificent flourish to end these championships."

You can watch the finals on World Rowing’s YouTube channel.