Record-breaking entry for annual Avon festival (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Record-breaking entry for annual Avon festival

EVESHAM Rowing Club is preparing for a record-breaking regatta this weekend after receiving a record entry of more than 600 crews from 50 clubs.

Saturday sees crews competing over the 1,000m course, while it's the sprints over 500m the next day.

Crews from Warwick, Stratford, Upton, Cheltenham and Gloucester will be in action, while King's School and RGS Worcester will also be there, in addition to school crews from Windsor Boys and Eton.

Winning crews will be awarded a goblet - a change from the usual pewter tankards and there is also a prize pot of £250 in the Victor Ludorum for the top winning club on each day.

The action starts at 8.15am on Saturday when many of the region's top rowers will be in action.

Events to watch out for are the Senior I sculling race at 2.26pm when top Evesham junior rower Ali Gregory is pitted against strong competition from Huntingdon and Northampton.

Emma Woodedd, recently selected to represent Great Britain, is on the water at Senior III level at 10.25am in the crew that won last month's Schools' Head.

There is some hot competition in the men's novice event with 14 crews racing to see if their months of winter training will finally pay off.

Sunday's races over the shorter course get under way at 8.30am with the single sculls events.

Evesham's senior women will be out in force with Senior III duo Victoria Seymour and Jane McIntosh are competing in the double sculls event.

In the novice double sculls (10.10), Marcus Hutchings and Sergei Phoursa, junior 18 competitors, are pitted against a crew from Bewdley.

The host club's junior girls and boys are racing at all levels from J11 up to J16 during the two-day extravaganza.

Club officials and volunteers have been working all hours to put the finishing touches to the club house after months of building work.

Regatta visitors will be catered for from the new kitchens and other spectators are welcome to drop in for all-day breakfasts, sandwiches, cakes and teas.

There will also be fund-raising stalls including book stalls and a tombola and all money raised goes towards the club's boat fund.