South African John Gearing, setting out on his second season as the supremo of Radley College rowing, admits "it will take a couple of years to get the boys to accept the harder training regime."

Radley's first crew did well in 2007, rising to second in the Schools Head, winning a bronze medal at the National Schools and reaching the Henley semi-final.

But Gearing's interest, as director of rowing, spreads across the club.

He hopes to field three eights in the senior division this year and admits that selecting the top two crews has been really difficult due to the floods.

"It will take a bit longer to reach our potential this season," he said.

Perennial Jean le Manac'h will be in charge of the second eight.

Unusually, Radley have quite a small group of junior 16's under the direction of former first eight coach Angus McChesney.

They made a pleasing start with a third at Wycliffe Head and there are hopes that numbers will swell in the summer.

A record number of junior 15s have signed up and will be coached, among others, by John Adams and Henry Clark, Boat race winners for Oxford and Canbridge respectively.

Four eights from this age group raced at Wycliffe.

Frustratingly, 52 new junior 14s have not been able to have one water session to date and it is unlikely that they will race this term.