The MacRae and Dick 'Discovery' squad from Inverness Rowing Club achieved success at the two day Scottish Championship Regatta at Strathclyde Park in Hamilton last weekend in fine, dry but sometimes windy conditions in winning two events - Mens Novice Eights, and Womens Veteran Double Sculls.

On Saturday, the Mens Novice Eight with Joe Wright, Duncan Alexander, Ken Sinclair and Neil Wallace in a composite crew with St Andrew Boat Club had a convincing win over crews from Edinburgh and Glasgow University Boat Clubs in an exciting race for the finishing line.

Shortly afterwards, the Inverness Womens Intermediate Eight of Anne MacDonald, Carole Wells, Doreen Waterson, Catherine Morton, Helen Wallace, Bea Wallace, Mandy Towrie, Susanne Standish-Hunter(Stroke) and Jo Wherret (cox) had the closest finish of the regatta in losing the Gold Medal on a photo-finish against a Glasgow University crew stroked by Imogen Walsh (daughter of the Inverness Club's President Paddy).

The Mens Intermediate Eight of Dave Rothwell, Duncan Alexander, Joe Wright, Neil Wallace, Roy Sinclair, Ian hunter, Ken Sinclair, Tom Baker (stroke) and Susanne Standish-Hunter (cox) had a fine race against younger university opposition and achieved a satisfactory third place in this final.

Neil Wallace and Tom Baker sculled well in their heats of Mens Novice Single Sculls whilst the Womens Novice Double Scull of Doreen Waterson and Bea Wallace also had a satisfactory third place in the final of this event.

The Womens Novice Four of Helen Wallace, Carole Wells, Doreen Waterson, Bea Wallace (stroke) and Susanne Standish-Hunter (cox) had a challenging race in the final of this event just losing out on first place to a crew from St Andrews University Boat Club.

On Sunday, the Inverness Womens crews took the limelight with Susanne Standish-Hunter and Mandy Towrie winning Gold in the Veteran Double Sculls producing a fine three lengths win over a Strathclyde Park RC crew and the Inverness double of Bea and Helen Wallace who claimed the Bronze Medal position.

The Inverness Womens Novice Coxed Four again raced in the final of this event on Sunday and achieved a sound third position, despite suffering equipment failure during their race. The Inverness Mens Novice Four of Joe Wright, Duncan Alexander, Ken Sinclair, Neil wallace (stroke) and Susanne Standish-Hunter (cox) had a fine three length win in their semi-final but just missed out on a top three place in an extremely close final.

Other Inverness Mens crews also shone on Sunday although just missing out on the top places.

The composite Inverness/ St Andrew Boat Club Veteran Eight with Roy Sinclair, Tom Baker and Alistair Duff on board produced one a the most exciting finishes of the day in clawing back 11 of the 15 second handicap awarded to the older Clydesdale ARC Eight. Alistair Duff, Tom Baker and Roy Sinclair sculled well but without Gold Medal success in their respective Veteran B, D and F Single Sculling events, whilst Doreen Waterson achieved third place in her very first Womens Novice Sculling event. The Mens Novice Double Scull of Neil Wallace and Ken Sinclair also achieved third place in final of this event.