STUDENTS proved a real class act at the annual two-day Monmouth Regatta as Wye rowers took 20 titles.

Monmouth School stormed to the Blue Riband invitation 8s by a length from defending champions Old Monmothians following a semi-final victory over Llandaff.

Archie Hilder, Joel Leeb du Toit, Max Weeden, Digby Brereton, Fred Dewey, Jamie Brown, Louis Peace, Josh Gibson and cox Huw Sparkes grabbed an early lead and surged clear of the old boys in the final 200m.

Eight hundred competitors from 38 clubs launched out in 397 boats at the 84-year-old event, with Monmouth School and Monmouth Comprehensive School taking six and five events respectively in Sunday's 750m sprint – while hosts Monmouth RC managed nine wins across Saturday's 1,500m regatta and the shorter dash.

Monmouth School's Harris Webb, Rory Booth, Weeden, Brereton, Harry Bridges, Charlie Price, Sam White, Hilder and cox Sparkes saw off Cardiff University by one and a third lengths in the sprint IM3 8s before seeing off De Montfort University by one and a quarter lengths in the final.

Clubmates Dewey, Leeb du Toit, Peace, Gibson and cox Sparkes sent IM2 four final opponents Bristol Ariel back empty handed across the Severn with victory by one length, while Hilder and Brereton made it a personal hat-trick of wins taking IM1 pairs comfortably from Llandaff.

Webb, Brown, Booth and White in the J18 quads and White again in the J18 singles both got the better of their Monmouth Comprehensive rivals in their finals, by two lengths and three lengths respectively.

But there was success for Comprehensive club captain Ben Metcalfe in IM3 sprint singles, with wins over Swansea, Monmouth School and Cardiff City in the final by two lengths, while club-mate Molly James saw off Taunton and then Staines opponents comfortably to land girls' J18 singles.

Schoolmates Charlie Cooke and Louis Proctor beat Cardiff and Vale in J15 doubles before seeing off Staines by three and a half lengths in the final, while Emily Dalrymple held on by half a length to take girls' J14 singles from club-mate Katie Kearsey, and Darcy Birkett and Megan Williams just squeezed out Ross by a canvas to take the age group doubles.

Olympic and world champion women's pair coach Robin Williams joined fellow Old Monmothians for their annual reunion, which included a row-past of a mixed 1969/76 eight, before presenting the prizes to Saturday's winners.

For full race results and pictures, visit www.

monmouthrc.org.uk