HOSTS Northwich Rowing Club battled the elements – and their rivals – to record 11 victories during their Autumn Head on Sunday.

An under 18s women’s quad, consisting of Lucy Gillbanks, Anya George, Jess Swindells and Hannah Cooney, received the Sue Benyon Trophy as a reward for being the fastest female crew to complete the course.

They reached the finish in 7.37.7.

Trentham Rowing Club’s coxed four took the Tim Hooper Trophy for quickest crew overall, pipping Grange School Rowing Club’s under 18s boys’ quad by less than a second.

Nat Antrobus, Alex Hackett, Matt Strickland-Baker and Reece Lester made up the Hartford school’s crew, which claimed their category prize in 7.09.7.

In Division One at the start of the day, Matthew Roberts (under 18s boys’ single scull) and Alison Green (women’s IM2 single scull) took class honours.

Beth Willford-Dutton (women’s IM3) was the fastest female single sculler overall, clocking 8.43.3.

Racing was delayed when the water level dropped, but a strong tailwind encouraged faster times over a shorter distance when it resumed.

Harry Taylor and George Lawton claimed first prize in the under 18s boys’ double after timing 7.11.1, while Willford-Dutton and Gillbanks won the women’s equivalent in 8.12.0.

An under 17s boys’ double of Rhys Coffey and George Crouchley won in 7.34.0 ahead of a rival crew from neighbours Grange School.

Crouchley joined forces with Roberts, Greg Murphy, Matthew Radford and cox Tom Swithenbank to record the fastest time in the IM3 coxed four – almost 20 seconds clear of closest rivals Lancaster Royal Grammar School.

Northwich were top of the time-sheet too in the under 16s girls’ coxed fours category, with Emma Pullan, Katherine Schofield, Imogen Wolstencroft, Rachel Cooney and cox Bethan Coffey forming a crew that won in 8.25.4.

Among the masters, Claire Webster, Claire Miller, Melanie Bishop, Kerry Clarke and cox Katie Mooney won unopposed in a coxed four.

A women’s masters D quad of Elaine Young, Carole Riddell, Carol Green and Mary Ozsanlav held off the challenge of a rival Runcorn crew to win in their category.