WYE rower Stephen Griffiths raced to his first Home Countries Regatta title for Wales, as it was high fives all round for the host nation in Cardiff Bay, with a quintet of event wins.

Alice Baatz and Steph Clutterbuck took two titles each, as big crowds alongside the barrage lock to Mermaid Quay 1500m course cheered on home crews against England, Ireland and Scotland in the annual ‘Battle of the Blades’ event.

And they were rewarded as Welsh crews triumphed in lightweight men’s double sculls, women’s and men’s single sculls, women’s coxed fours and women’s quadruple sculls, adding five second places, including three involving the eight-rower Monmouth junior contingent.

Monmouth RC’s Griffiths, the Wales men’s captain, marked his fifth appearance in Welsh colours by sealing his first win, partnering Cardiff Metropolitan graduate Sean Blake to victory in the men’s lightweight double sculls, just over a length clear of Scotland, who pushed England into third by two feet.

The 22-year-old Durham University student, whose father John is head of rowing at Monmouth School and rowed for Wales and Great Britain, said: “It feels fantastic to finally secure a win after some close seconds over the years, particularly on home water.

“It was really choppy on the start, but after being blown all over the place in my single, we got it just right pointing the boat into the strong crosswind, and when the starter said go, we’d drifted right on line.

“We had clear water at 250m gone and then just kept building more and more. Then there was a lot of noise coming to the line from people shouting us on.

“You couldn’t be more in the heart of the Welsh capital and being cheered on by the home crowd was amazing.”

Monmouth School’s Rory Freeman, Harris Webb, Archie Hilder and Harry Bridges led through the 500 metre mark in their junior coxless fours race, and fought tooth and nail with England before taking second a length back, with Ireland 1.5 lengths further down in third.

And on board the junior men’s eight with rowers from Marlow, Shrewsbury and Shiplake, they fought another hard battle, squeezing the Irish into third by 0.3 lengths with England just under a length in front.

Not to be outdone, Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls quartet Emily Strawbridge, Hannah Lincoln, Pippa England and cox Hannah Green teamed up with Oxford-based Elinor George to push Scotland into second by 0.75 lengths behind junior coxed four winners England.

Monmouth RC dairy farmer Olly Partridge finished third third in the men’s pairs with Vincent De Luca and fourth in doubles with Sam Bannister, while Old Monmothian Dai George and former Monmouth Comprehensive pupil Sam Royston in the cox’s seat were also fourth, in the lightweight pairs and women’s eights respectively.

Earlier, Baatz had got the ball rolling for Wales by winning women’s open singles, going through 500m a few feet up on Ireland’s Marie Pigott, before stretching away to win by 1.5 lengths.

She said: “We had a restart and I was third the second time away behind Ireland and England, but then began to move through in the middle.

“I got about a length or so up, but you can’t ever think you’ve got it until you cross the line, especially in rough conditions like that. It’s a great place to race in my first appearance in Wales colours and fantastic to win here.”

Oxford Boat Race Blue Josh Bugajski was defending the men’s singles crown he won on Glasgow’s world championships lake last year. But it looked like a tall order for the Cardiff University graduate after a bad start left him trailing by clear water early on, until an incredible last few strokes saw him grab victory on the line by just four feet from England’s Seb Devereux, right in front of the Welsh Assembly Building.

“That was an absolute humdinger, coming through right at the end to retain my singles title. It feels great, very hard, but worth it in the end,” said a delighted Bugajski.

“It was really choppy water, with a lot of dodgy strokes, but everyone else was in the same position. I think it rattled a few people.

He added: ”With the crosswind, I was about 45 degrees off course just before the starter said ‘go’ and had a bad start. I was about a length and a half down before I started racing, but I kept creeping back and had got back to a length with 500 metres left, and then really attacked and took him by surprise, pulling level in about 10 strokes. And then it was an all out sprint to the line, but I just got there."

Wales’ scratch women’s four of Helen Roberts, Hannah Foxley, Grace Hockenhull, Steph Clutterbuck and cox Sarah Davies added a third title for the host nation, leading from the start and powering home two lengths clear of second-placed England.

Cardiff University graduate Roberts said: “The race plan was to stick with the pack and then make our move, but we were up pretty much straight away. We handled the conditions really well and kept it long.

“It definitely tastes even sweeter that we’re a scratch boat. It just shows that we really wanted it and were prepared to really work together.

Baatz and Clutterbuck then made it a double of personal success, as they teamed up with Cardiff University graduate Beccy Girling and Rachael Davies to take the women’s quad sculls.

The quartet took control in the middle of the race to come home just over a length clear of England, with Scotland another two lengths back in third.

Men’s junior double Ollie Lewis and Tom Strudwick led to within sight of the line, but had to settle for second as the Scottish duo charged through, while women’s double Roberts and Girling took second a length down on England. 

Team Wales manager Zoe Davies said: "It’s been another fantastic Home International Regatta in Cardiff Bay. Conditions were challenging for the athletes, but the Bay always brings something new.

"It’s been sunny, with lots of people watching, and I’m really glad Welsh rowing’s been able to show off such an impressive location in the heart of the Welsh capital in all its glory.

"The Wales team has had five good wins and five near misses in second, and it’s good to see that a lot of our athletes who were bringing up the rear last year have finished in higher positions this time, which shows the event as a development pathway is working for us."