Read more about the EDON TS515 Traing Scull, including pricing, if you want to learn to row in a boat that is both rewarding, safe and very affordable in the credit-crunched world in which we now live.

To order simply phone +44 (0) 870 770 2728.

They are baked in a rotating oven, that gigantic machine at the back of the factory! It is a process called rota moulding and the inital investment is huge but once done the process is cheap an reliable.

The boats were delivered last month and already they are hoping to buy a second batch as they have been so successful for teaching youngsters.

We were a couple of minutes behind our target of 3:45 but there was a slight head wind and more importantly we had to stop about 10 times and back down (reverse) to clear weed from our rudder. We were not the only crew that had trouble with weed this year. One girl told me how she had to lie prone on the stern canvas (we don't use canvas these days but the term has stuck) of her quad to remove weed and another lad said he went for a swim to clear his boat's rudder.

Our achievement is all the more remarkable because Brian Chapman who sculled in the 2 seat has been rebuilt following a motorcycle accident a few years ago and John McMahon, who was sculling at 3, had a heart attack two years ago and has been replumbed since! Some people retire within themselves after a heart attack and wrap themselves in cotton wool. Far better, in my humble opinion, to follow your doctor's advice on diet and to get even more exercise than before in order to build up the strength of your heart. After all it is only a muscle.

I'll be steering my crew, a quadruple scull from bow, with my foot as I'll need both my hands for sculling, and we set off at 10.40. We're hoping to set a new course record for Veteran E quads (over 55 average age) and are aiming to cover the course in about 3 hours and 45 minutes. A lot depends upon conditions, particularly wind.

Training had been going well until the day after I went away for a week's holiday when a scratch crew went out in the boat we'd been using and crashed into a coxless four from Royal Chester Rowing Club. The bowman, who was steering was so hurt that he couldn't row or even sit in the boat and an ambulance had to be called. He was whisked off to hospital. Fortunately it turned out to be soft tissue damage only and he is all right now.

The boat, however, was a different matter and had to be taken to a boat hospital for repairs so we lost quite a bit of training time. We just got the boat back on Saturday and have settled back into the groove again so we're raring to go.

If you want to give us a cheer, we're crew 101. ETA Boston is 14.25, which will put us about half an hour inside the record time for our age and boat class.

In the other heat Hornets RC from Cambridge turned the tables on Worcester, who had beaten them at the National Veterans Regatta in Nottingham though only just. They won by only 1/2 a length in a time of 3.52, which was 8 secs slower than our time, achieved when we were not pressed. So we were optimistic for the outcome of the pending afternoon final.

And so it turned out. We went ahead after the first few strokes and had clear water by half way, see video clip here (which is a big file and takes several minutes to download even with broadband). Then we took the rate and pressure down again and cruised to a comfortable win in order to save ourselves for the final of D4x against Tideway Scullers School.

Sadly our youngster, who was going to sub in to bring the average age and the weight of the crew down and also increase its power, injured his back in the week before the regatta so we raced with the same combination that won the E (over 55s) event. However, we were giving away too much and TSS, with ex-Grosvenor sculler, Chris Williams, sculling in the 3 seat, had a cracking start, which meant that within seconds we were bobbing around in their not-inconsiderable wash and couldn't get a rhythm until they were about 3 lengths ahead, far too much too recoup in a short 1000m race.

So we only came home with one medal each from Henley but this is one more than any of us had ever acquired before so we were all thrilled.

The crew was:
Bow: Steve Walker (steering) (oldest and lightest - 64kg)
2: Brian Chapman (rebuilt following a motor cycle crash two years ago)
3: John McMahon (rebored after a heart attack two years ago)
Stroke: Mike Allwood (only kept alive by daily exercise)

If you look at the draw you'll see that in the E4x we face Bewl Bridge RC from Kent at 10.04 on Saturday and if we win then we'll race the winner of Hornets BC and Worcester at 15.36 in the final.

We have a straight final in the D4x at 16.56 against Tideway Scullers School from London, one of the most highly regarded clubs in the world so we have our work cut out!

And that is only day one!

I'm off to Henley Royal Regatta now and hope to have time to post some more pictures of Belle Ile upon my return.

The next container load of TS515 trainsing sculls is due to arrive from Australia on Monday 23rd June and there are only a few boats unallocated so if you want one please contact me on the phone and send your order together with payment. I have orders in the pipeline that could arrive at any time and so it is first come, first served. Meantime EDON are building up their stock ready for the next consignment, which, incidentally, will be at least 10% more expensive - another good reason to buy now.

We were racing in E quad sculls (Vet E 4x) for crews with an average age of, at least, 55 but we doubled up in D (over 50s) too and aquitted oursleves there by hanging onto the coat tails of the younger crews. Indeed we finished only half a length behind Tideway Scullers School, one of the top clubs in the kingdom, if not THE top club for sculling. Next event will be Henley Veterans' Regatta in Mid July.

1. Mediterranean Blue, which is a lighter shade than the French Navy Blue that we used to offer and is featured on the main page for the Yole.

2. Hermes Red which is a little more understated than the Ferrari Red. Here are a couple of pictures of one taken in Venice, an ideal place for a Yole.

I am very pleased to say that we are as busy as ever with orders for this ever popular boat.

I have uploaded PAGE 1 and PAGE 2 for the benefit of those of you who are not in receipt of this magazine, which is published and circulated to its members by the Amateur Rowing Association.