Melted snow may have caused the River Ouse to rise by 15cms on Saturday night, and caused organisers to shorten the course to just 1,500m, but the Bedford Eights and Fours Head of the River Race still produced some compelling competition.

The fastest crew of the day came from the London club Thames Tradesmen, who beat pre-event favourites Oxford and Cambridge Lightweights, Nottingham Rowing Club and Star Club.

Over £2,000 worth of trophies were given away to event winners, but the day will probably be remembered for the moment when the top Oxford University Lightweight crew took the small, extreme right arch of the Town Bridge. They made it through, only to crash into the Embankment wall, before continuing on down river.

Star Club's first eight came joint third, despite colliding with the Oxford Lightweight second crew as they both attempted to take the same peculiar route. Even so, Star finished just two seconds behind the winners and could well have been the fastest crew of the day save for this incident. In fact, their time was good enough to see them tie with Nottingham as joint winners of the elite eights event, and finish as runners-up in the S2 eights.

Mark Bavington, who was stroking the Star Club first eight, said: "We quickly caught the Oxford University Lightweights crew and were running wide to overtake them through the outside arch of the Town Bridge. We were overlapping by a third of a length when their cox turned into us, forcing us to stop rowing and come to a complete standstill.

"It was very frustrating, people watching from the bank reckoned we were stationery for five to seven seconds, which cost us an overall win as Thames Tradesmen, the fastest crew of the day, were only two seconds faster."

For the first time in living memory, both the University squads from Oxford and Cambridge went home empty-handed, but the local crews enjoyed a good deal of succes.

Bedford Rowing Club's women, veterans and novices all won their events, while the women's S2 eight of Nicky Hardy, Claire Newton, Amelia Buckingham and Lizzie Banyard-Smith, along with rowers from the Thames Rowing Club, not only won their category but recorded the fastest time of the day for a women's crew. The S3 eight of Nicky Hardy, Lydia Swift, Claire Newton, Sara Reay, Sarah Keens, Tanzy Leitner, JC Anstee, Liane Higgins and cox Jo Lemon also did well, finishing as runners-up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, but beating the other 12 crews.

Bedford's novice four of Martin Smith, Jeremy Howell, Michael Funge and Matya Illic, coxed by Doug Black, defeated 14 other crews to win their event in 5.07mins, while the Veteran D coxed four of Dick Garrett, Dave Powell, Mick Parker and Mike Harris, coxed by Doug Black, and composite Veteran E coxless four both triumphed.

Star Club triumphed in the elite coxless pairs women's S3 quadruple sculls and women's J16 quadruple sculls.
Bedford Modern School were victorious in the J14 coxed quads and junior eights event, while Bedford School's novice eight won their event against a huge field of 17 crews.

Girls from Dame Alice Harpur School triumphed in both the women's novice fours and women's novice coxed quad sculls.

Bedford High School, who were also in action at the Hampton Head at the weekend, had an excellent day, with the women's S4 eight of Emily Piggott, Ellie Piggott, Emma Havens, Becky Yeomans, Sophie Symmonds, Chloe Symmonds, Charlotte McClean, and Dani Hinckley, steered by Hayley Thomas, claiming victory.

The women's novice eight of Emma Havens, Rachel Meredith, Charlotte McClean, Katie Kedward, Catoriona Stenhouse, Cate Dixon, Helen Tredget and Laura Versnel, coxed by Hayley Thomas, displayed their potential by winning their event, while the novice coxless quad of Becky Yeomans, Sophie Symmonds, R Meredith and Hannah George also triumphed.

The women's S4 quad sculls of Ellie Piggott, Emily Piggott, Chloe Symmonds and Dani Hinkley won at both Bedford and at the Hampton Head, where Chloe Symmonds was replaced by sister Sophie.

The next event to be organised by Bedford Rowing Club is the Spring Fours Head and Small Boats Head, to be held on Sunday, April 15. Further details can be found at www.bedfordrowing.co.uk