JUNIORS at Northwich Rowing Club will reach the regatta season in race-winning form after registering three category victories during Saturday’s annual North of England Head.

An MJ18 quad of Finn Lawton, Tom Asteriades, Zak Trigg and Alex Bain were the fastest crew on the water in Division One, completing a 5km course on the River Dee in 16:31.9.

Neighbours Grange School’s MJ18 boat was five seconds adrift after timing 16:36.7.

Northwich’s MJ17 quad, consisting of Harry Blake, Jack Radford, George Lawton and Leon Langmead, were quickest in class after reaching the finish in 17:00.5.

York City Rowing Club were next best, some 17 seconds slower.

A third success for Northwich was celebrated by an WJ15 coxed quad of Anya George, Beth Wilford-Dutton, Amelia Barry, Hannah Cooney and cox Saffron Coppock, who clocked 20:31.0.

Grange School had to settle for a runners-up position after timing 20:59.1.

“The performances in the final winter races have been outstanding,” said Northwich captain Rachel Hooper.

“It bodes well for the regatta campaign.

“The boys’ quads continue to dominate, while our under 15s girls’ squad is the strongest we’ve had in that age group for as long as I can remember.”

Meanwhile Grange School’s MJ18 eight prepared for the Schools’ Head of the River in London today, Wednesday, by winning their class at Chester.

Harry Blake, from Northwich, joined George Graham, Sam Hart, Conor Gay, Matt Roe, Tom Roe, Reece Lester, Callum Begg and cox Megan Walker in the boat, which reached the finish in 17:03.5.