Rowers face early starts on the Avon

5:19pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

ONE of the country's biggest and most popular regattas takes place at Evesham this weekend when 537 rowing crews from all over the country will descend on the town vying to win one of Evesham's coveted pewter tankards.

Racing starts at 8.30am on both Saturday and Sunday and, with a race every few minutes, there will plenty of action on the River Avon for crowds to enjoy.

Worcestershire's rowing clubs are sending crews from Bewdley, Stourport, Upton and Worcester, while crews from as far afield as Staines in Middlesex, Bedford, Peterborough, and Bideford in Devon are also heading to The Vale.

There is even a sculler from ANA Club in Australia competing in Sunday's Sprint events.

Karndean Design Floorings is the event's official sponsor and managing director Martin Bell, said: "We are delighted to be sponsoring the Evesham Regatta. We believe our support of the local community is important for the continued popularity of the Vale of Evesham."

Refreshments will be available all day from The Boathouse where there will be a barbeque and pig roast and a licensed bar from 12 noon.

On Saturday evening, local band The Bad Boys will be playing from 9pm, tickets cost £2.

After a tough year for the club that was badly affected by last July's flooding, officials are hoping that the crowds turn up in their numbers to witness what promises to be a fabulous weekend of action on the water.

Beijing Olympic medal hope and former Evesham member, Zac Purchase will be representing Great Britain at next week's World Cup Regatta.

Purchase will again team up with his 2007 World bronze medal doubles partner Mark Hunter after the duo dominated the winter trials.

Alex Gregory from Wormington, in the men's heavyweight sculling group, will also be hopeful of racing in Munich.

Two more current Evesham members, Rory Sullivan and Will Tew, will be competing in the British Under-18 crew at the Munich Junior International Regatta. The two GB U-16 caps are among a 14-strong junior men's team for this weekend's two-day event.

Clubmates Oli Staite, who partnered Sullivan to a fourth place finish at the weekend's training camp in the absence of injured Tew, is also still hopeful of winning a place alongside Josh Pendry who finished 13th in the recent racing.

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