WYE rower Louise Hart gave the Dutch national single sculler Lisa Scheenaard a two-stone advantage at Henley Royal Regatta, but made the seeded star work all the way after coming through the time-trial qualifiers for the eight boat event.

The Holland international had a length at the top of the Island and three lengths at the half-way Fawley mark, but Hart fought doggedly to the line to prevent the margin growing any further.

Scheenarrad won her semi-final easily and then lost out to Czech Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova, who won the Princess Royal Cup for the fifth time.

Former Monmouth Comprehensive School pupil Louis Paterson's Oxford Brookes University crew won a tough race by half a length from Hobart, USA, in the Prince Albert Cup college fours event, after overhauling the Americans' quick start before halfway.

But his hopes of bettering last year's semi-final appearance were quashed in another battle by Dutch seeds Proteus Eretes, who jumped into a quick lead in their last-16 battle.

Overlapping throughout the race, the Wye man's boat pushed and pushed, but could never quite get back on terms, racing home at 41 strokes a minute, but losing out by three quarters of a length. 

The victors later lost out to Yale by a length and three quarters, who in turn lost in the final by one length to fellow Americans Washington. 

Old Monmothians Mark Lewis and James Robinson did well to qualify for the 16-boat Prince of Wales international club quad sculls draw, taking one of only five slots on offer in the 23-boat qualifying time-trial the Friday before.

But the GB under-23 lightweights were too slick in their head-to-head first round battle, coming home four lengths clear.   

Monmouth School also came through the qualifiers, taking one of 11 slots in the 32-boat Princess Elizabeth Cup school 8s draw in a 25-boat race-off, with the likes of Dulwich, Millfield, King's School Worcester, Cheltenham College, Pangbourne and Kingston Grammar all missing out. 

But 2014 champions Eton College had too much horsepower for the Wye boys in their first round clash, who fought hard but couldn't threaten the Thames outfit.

One Monmouth-connected rower did make it all the way to finals day and onto the winner's podium though, with world bronze medal sculler Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne winning the girls' junior quads for the second year running with Gloucester Rowing Club, taking the final by one and a third lengths from Marlow.

Charlotte, from St Weonards, uses Monmouth RC's gym during the school and college holidays with her sister Mathilda, who has just been picked to race for GB at the world under-23 championships in Bulgaria later his month.