THEY got there in the end. The championship season reached its climax after numerous reschedules, most recently affecting the three-day Herm Regatta.

An alternative course was run for the Around Herm race in the form of a sprint from Havelet Bay down to St Martin’s Point and back again.

A total of 20 crews took part and were on the whole very satisfied with the course.

There was a new pairing in the women’s pairs as club regular Reg Luxon and university rower Chloe Grover teamed up.

They displayed exceptional technique throughout and finished ahead of the Wheeler Developments pairing.

Men’s duo Ian Atkinson and Dan Harradine dominated their class, despite Atkinson coming off his seat on more than one occasion, while Geomarine topped the women’s fours, this time without the usual pressure from Skipton/First Call.

On this occasion, it was CMC Sirens who piled on the pressure with a strong start and a steady race. They also opted for a change of stroke for the first time this season and ended up just one minute behind Skipton/First Call.

James Murray and Julie Duquemin in the mixed pairs class have been under pressure to keep their championship hopes alive after they missed one too many races compared to class competitors Liz Bellot and Steve Pipe.

Both crews had to win all their remaining races in order to clinch the title and it was Murray and Duquemin who took the penultimate maximum points on offer.

The men’s fours were again dominated by champions Racing Line with The Green Boat finishing just one minute behind them.

The final championship race of the season was held over a 16.5km jaunt from Havelet to Rocquaine with a much deserved barbecue for rowers afterwards.

Having already secured their championship title, Racing Line’s Joe Paul opted to row a single for the day against windsurfer Stewart Briggs. Paul took the honours in a fast time of 1-26.05.

First boat to the finish line was men’s duo Atkinson and Geoff Gavey of The White Boat in a time of 1-16:18.

Having rowed an average race in the Around Herm alternative Tim Laine and Adam Heaume of Ship & Crown produced one of their best results, finishing in third ahead of BTS and P&O Cruisers.

Luxon and Grover continued their success from earlier in the week and once again snatched the honours from Wheeler Develop-ments.

They also produced the only new record of the day in a time of 1-31.36.

But the fastest of the day were the men’s four The Green Boat, who with it secured runners-up in the championship.

Credit should go to team Oceans Four who not only opted to row with just three men, but also managed to put aside the trauma of the fact that one of them was rowing with a broken toe.

In the mixed pairs class, a delighted Murray and Duquemin took an early lead and managed to keep Bellot and Pipe at bay throughout the course to secure their overall championship title.

Geomarine clinched the women’s fours title with Skipton/First Call managing to hang on to second place despite one crew member suffering considerably from seasickness.

The penultimate race of the 2007 season is the re-scheduled handicapped Trident Trophy today at 4pm.