OXFORD Brookes University have again swept all before them, writes John Wiggins.

Both their men’s and ladies’ crews set new bests when competing in the two-day Ghent International Regatta, the former in another impressive all-round display.

Brookes’ men finished first, second and fourth on both days – lowering the course and club records they set in 2017 by three seconds on Saturday and then a further two on Sunday to an astonishing 5mins 30.28secs for the 2,000m course.

A change to Sunday’s line-up brought in Rory Gibbs and Morgan Bolding to join Matthew Aldridge, Michael Glover, Sam Nunn, Matt Hnatiw, Gareth Syphas, Tim Grant and cox, Harry Brightmore.

The previous day, Gibbs and Bolding had raced in a coxless four with Henry Swarbrick and Oliver Wilkes, beating a Leander crew containing former Brookes strokeman, James Stanhope, by just 0.3 seconds.

Though coming second on both days to a Leander combination, Brookes’ women’s eight also set a club record with their time of 6.29.71.

The stern half of the eight – Sophia Heath, Zoe Taylor, Susie Dear and Ella Morgan – switched to a four the next day, winning by a clear seven seconds.

Brookes’ other success came in the B double sculls for Finlay Gronmark and Toby Trett.

In considerably wetter conditions here in the UK, local schools made their presence felt in the Bedford Regatta.

Radley College reached three finals from the 15 contested, with success for both the J14 C octuple and their J16 eight.

Abingdon School, without their unbeaten J16 crew in action, came away uncharacteristically empty-handed, but not so St Edward’s School.

This year, with no boys crews entered, the girls collected three trophies.

A J15 aged crew – Jess McPhail, Saskia Ward, India Courage and Daisy Speir and cox, Abi Drennan – won the senior women’s band 2 coxed fours.

A younger squad narrowly missed a clean sweep when beaten in the J14 quad sculls.

Though missing out in the B event by only half a length, the others comfortably won their respective finals with trophies for the A crew of Scarlett Gibb, Isabel Llandres-Diaz, Ruby Freeland and Jen Ellis, as well as the C crew of Liv Johnson, Tabs Emmott, Rosie Perkins and Tilly Pumfrey.

Adie del Mar coxed both boats.