But Farndon's 2006 world U23 champion, Chris Bartley, started his senior world championship bid for glory in Austria in fine style, winning his pairs heat with Dan Harte to make tomorrow's semi-finals.

Rhosesmor rower Fearnhead's GB lightweight quadruple scull placed third in their six-boat heat behind Italy and Denmark, a length and a half ahead of France in fourth with Austria and Hungary bringing up the rear.

The 20-year-old King's Chester product needed to finish in the top two in the repechage to make the six-boat medal race off.

And they went one better than that, leading all the way to beat Switzerland into second by half a length with France and Azerbaijan eliminated in third and fourth.

But in the final, the Brits had to settle for fourth, two lengths off Germany in bronze, with Denmark pushing through Italy, who just held on for silver by a canvas.

Former King's schoolmate Jade Whitlam made the podium at the British Championships at Nottingham's National Water Sports Centre, taking bronze in the women's coxless fours.

Several Grosvenor squad members will be racing for Wales at the Home Countries Regatta in Cardiff this weekend against England, Ireland and Scotland.

Meanwhile, Victoria Thornley and Lucy Ryver have powered their way to National medals.

Victoria, from Holt, and Lucy, from Rossett, joined forces with Gemma Akers, and Helen Glover to finish second in the quad event while representing Minerva, from Bath.

Victoria and Lucy were making only their third appearance in a quad boat after their appearance at the Reading Regatta, and their victory in this year's Royal Henley Regatta.

Victoria, who attended Abbeygate College and the Bishop Heber Sixth Form, is now preparing to compete in the Great Britain Trials, which take place at Boston, Lincolnshire, in October.

GROSVENOR'S oarsmen are reflecting on their successful summer season.

The Chester club returned home from the Henley Veterans Regatta and the National Championships of Great Britain with a clutch of medals.

Grosvenor's winning crew boat was the quad of Steve Walker, Brian Chapman, John McMahon and Mike Allwood, racing in the veteran E event.

Also winning in the veteran B single scull was Iwan Jones, back at Henley after racing there at the Royal Regatta the previous week.

The senior men's squad raced at the National Championships held on the 2000m rowing lake at Nottingham where conditions were testing, with a strong wind that made fair racing difficult.

Grosvenor had three crews racing, a composite eight, coxed four, and double. The four and double progressed through their heats with strong second place finishes, whilst the eight had a more difficult first race, failing to qualify automatically and instead facing a very tough draw in the repechage which included this year's Henley finalists, Tideway Scullers School.

The Grosvenor eight fought hard, managing to beat the odds and overcome Tideway Scullers to take a place in the final. The wind was even stronger on finals day, and without being drawn in the favoured lane, Grosvenor crews felt the brunt of it.

However, having three crews in the finals of the National Championships is a first for Grosvenor, and bodes well for the future.

Grosvenor's senior men's coach, Paul Turner, can also be seen in action on TV this week, on ITV4 (Thursday, 8pm). He was one of the two coaches working alongside Sir Steven Redgrave to train a group of raw novices from Liverpool to qualify for Henley Royal Regatta.

The programme, Redgrave's Raw Recruits, shows how the crews got on, with plenty of action of them on the Dee as they raced and trained out of Grosvenor as well as Liverpool Victoria.

If anyone is inspired to take up rowing after watching the programme, Grosvenor always welcomes new members.

Talk to the captain, Chris Hudson on 07713 784319 to find out more, or go down to the club on a weekend morning.