Olympic champion rowing coach Robin Williams took time out from his busy Great Britain schedule to reunite with his all-conquering Monmouth RC crew of 1979.

A lot of water may have flowed under Wye Bridge since then, but 33 years after their last row together, Robin, Mike Partridge, Jim Kelly and Nick Hartland launched out for a paddle and found that the old magic was still there.

The quartet went undefeated in 1979, winning nine events, including the prestigious West of England Challenge Vase.

Eleven-time chief Cambridge Boat Race coach Robin, who guided women's pair Helen Glover and Heather Stanning to GB's first gold medal of the whole Olympics, said it was great fun to meet the guys and paddle again.

Watched by their coach, Nick's dad John Hartland, the crew did a few racing starts and managed to get the rating up to 48 strokes a minute.

"It was a bit of a shock that we were able to move it like that still," said Robin. "But I'm not quite so sure we'd have been quite so good over the next 100 strokes."

Crewmate Mike, who was over from Australia where he now rows and coaches, said: "It was fantastic to meet the guys and congratulate Robin on his girls' London 2012 success.

"One thing's for sure - we'd better make sure we don't leave it another 33 years before the next reunion. I'm over again in a couple of years, so it would be good to get out then. Jim's up for a race or two, but I'm not quite so sure about that."

After the heady days of Dorney, Robin is now looking towards Rio, with the GB team due 'back at work' on October 1st. 

"I'd love to go there with the girls, they are two of the most fantastic, focussed, but genuine, people to work with. It couldn't have hapened to two nicer people."

"I've coached seven Cambridge-winning crews, but Olympic gold tops the lot. Riding my bike alongside the race, the roar of the crowd in the last 500m was incredible. We'll probably never have the chance to race in front of a crowd like that again," added the world silver medal rower.

"But Monmouth is where it all began. We owe a lot to coach John who guided us all in those early days and inspired us to go on in the sport, and it's been great to come back and meet up again." 

Come to the Wye this Sunday for the annual Monmouth Autumn Head. Racing against the clock from Hadnock to the clubhouse is in three divisions, at 10.30am, 1pm and 3.30pm, with a large contingent from the town's three schools.