TEES Rowing Club achieved excellent results at last weekend's Durham City Regatta on the River Wear.

More than 150 crews from across the North and Scotland contested a full range of events for junior, senior and veteran rowers and the Tees club sent a full complement of crews.

Suzie Francis, fourth at last year's national championships, joined forces with national silver medallist Laura West to win the WJ16 double sculls.

The pair were rivals in the single sculls the next day, with the Tees rower narrowly defeated in the final.

Rebekah Warburton and Laura Hunter-Smith were also narrowly defeated in the WJ18 double sculls final by Durham ARC. Rebekah, a J15 sculler, went on to defeat fellow club member Ester Tackaz in the final of the women's novice single sculls.

Angie Warburton and Janet Wilkinson had a notable win for the women's veterans when they defeated all-comers in the women's senior three double sculls. They narrowly lost the final of the same event.

Melissa Meikle, whose regular doubles partner Elizabeth Brophy was on Duke of Edinburgh Award duty, joined forces with the youngest member of the Tees squad, Alice Runnacles, for the WJ15 double sculls event.

They put in a spirited performance in the final, losing to local rivals and last year's national championships gold medal winners, St Leonard's School.

The women's novice eight, in only their second regatta, were defeated in the final of their event. The crew members were Helen Cronshaw, Vicky Phelan, Nicola Spinks, Heather Halliday, Lucy Ventress, Sarah Runnacles, Zoe Rayson, Sarah Gaut and cox Janet Wilkinson.

In his first regatta, Neil Hunter-Smith joined forces with David Inman to notch up an historic win for Tees junior boys in the men's novice double sculls final. They defeated both St Leonard's School and Yarm School for the first time on their way to victory.

The men's senior three four - Steve Vaslet, Dave Scarr, Dave Warburton, Andy Pickering and cox Angie Warburton - were pipped in the final by the J18 national stars of Yarm School.

The men's senior four coxed four plus of Justin Roe, Graham Hollins, Rob Cree, Paul Lofts and cox Peter Hill made it to the quarter-final in their first run out.

The two crews then combined to compete against more experienced rivals Tyne RC in the final of the senior three eight plus and were narrowly defeated by half a length.

Tees veteran men continued their winning ways with powerful performances on both days of the regatta.

The veteran E (over 55) crew won their final with a powerful exhibition of controlled rowing against Durham ARC. The crew of John Green, Bob Bainbridge, Chris Kenyon, Tony Stocking and cox John Heron were never troubled and repeated their victory the next day against a more powerful and experienced Durham four.

Tees Veteran D four plus (over 50) men - Richard Harandon, Dick Wilkinson, Tor Taverner, Dilwyn Jones and cox Carole Jones - won their C/D handicap event final against Chester le Street C (over 43) crew.

The men's veteran E (over 55) eights won their final by one length from old rivals Durham ARC to complete a very satisfactory weekend's racing.