A RECORD 240 boats, including two eights and two scullers from Holland, will be launching out on the River Wye on Sunday for the Monmouth Autumn Head of the River Race.

Organisers had to close entries early, as 80 boats in each of the three divisions is the maximum number that can race. 

Some 500 competitors will race against the clock over a mile and a half, from Hadnock Cottages to Monmouth Rowing Club, at 10.30am, 1pm and 3.30pm.

The Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored hosts will be looking to defend home waters alongside Monmouth Comprehensive School, Monmouth School and Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for girls.

The 15 clubs attending include Alkmaar from Holland, Cardiff City, City of Swansea, AB Severn from Tewkesbury, Llandaff, Minerva Bath, Bradford-on-Avon and King’s School Worcester.

Spokesman Eric Froggatt said: "We’re absolutely maxed out and we’re looking forward to some good racing. Last year we got 232 boats, but we’re up to our limit this time."

Meanwhile, young Monmouth rowing club sculler Fin Waters finished his regatta season with his sixth pot of the year at Stourport Regatta.

The 13-year-old followed up wins at Worcester Spring, Monmouth, Ironbridge, Llandaff, where he won the older U14 event, and Totnes regattas with U13 singles victory at Stourport Sprint.

Part of the pool of club juniors coached by John Jenkins and Chris Cowburn, he saw off his Cardiff and Vale opponent by two lengths in the first round, an AB Severn sculler from Tewkesbury by one-and-a-quarter lengths in the semis and then clinched the silverware by two-and-three-quarter lengths in the final from another Cardiff sculler.   

Tom Penny took a hat-trick at Bewdley Regatta, taking masters handicap singles over 800m by one-and-a-half lengths after overhauling his Northwich opponent’s head start.

In the sprint, he took the elite title from his Northampton rival, and again overhauled the Northwich sculler to take masters handicap singles.

At Stourport, he won elite singles over the longer course from his London-based Quintin opponent, who was disqualified 200m from the line when he clashed into the Wye man who had a narrow lead. 

Any doubts about Penny’s supremacy were dispelled the next day when he beat the same opponent in the sprint by a length before taking the pot in the final from a Stourport sculler by two lengths.

Meanwhile GB university’s cap Louis Paterson joined up again with his Monmouth RC British champion clubmate Alex Butler to take the top fours event at Ross Regatta with two City of Bristol rowers.

They won their semi-final by half a length and then took an epic final from Worcester on the 800m Wye course by just two feet.

Helen Tilley, Theresa McCarthy, Gabby Miles and Helen Campion were also on song, taking women’s masters E (over 50) quads from the host club.