LARA Banks-Martin was a sparkling success when Ross Junior Rowers took eight wins at the Gloucester Head recently.

Ross Junior Rowers again brought back an impressive haul of medals from their latest competitive trip, this time to Gloucester Rowing Club’s new boathouse on the banks of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

Lara showed her class as a single sculler, winning the WJ16 event by a margin of more than a minute and a half over this gruelling five km course.

The majority of the events entered were in single sculls as the club’s junior squad continues its focus on small boats in the period leading up to Christmas.

There were wins in single sculls for Lara, Heidi Brodholt, Katie Smith, Ella Bardsley-Taylor and Yasmin Howe.

Other medal winners included Lucy Burden, Ellie Lown, Grace Tacey, Elic Wales, Joshua Quan-Buchanan, Jayesh Punn and Cameron Roberts.

The club’s senior squad were represented by Dave Sykes and Graham Watling who have become a familiar sight in a coxless pair on the local circuit.

On this occasion, they were unlucky as a canal-side bush fell down and impeded them part-way down the course, costing them a near-certain win in their event.

Ross Rowing Club’s senior and junior athletes travel to Henley on Saturday to take part in the top-rated Henley Sculls event on this famous stretch of the Thames.