THE 274th Chester Regatta celebrated its most impressive entry for 10 years on Saturday.
Clubs from the Chester area rose to the occasion, claiming victory in 21 of 34 events on the River Dee. More than 150 crews took part overall.
Royal Chester led the way with nine wins, backed by the double triumph of Grosvenor and Queen's Park High School with six events each.
The regatta was full of close contests, with seven finals decided by less than a length and two dozen verdicts by two lengths or more.
In the eights, the honours went to Royal Chester who, with a successful partnership with Northwich, won the top event by two and a half lengths. The only local derby in this class saw Grosvenor prove too strong for The King's School by one and a half lengths.
Royal Chester completed a hat-trick in the senior two, novice and veteran coxed fours, while Grosvenor dominated the mixed senior and novice fours.
In the women's quadruple sculls, Queen's Park High dominated the junior 14 and 13 classes.
Grosvenor and Royal Chester - untroubled by their opponents in senior four and veteran C coxless pairs - then combined to win the senior two double skulls by four lengths.
But they were less successful when they met The King's School, who easily foiled their hopes of completing a third win in the novice class.
The King's School defeated Grosvenor by two and a half lengths in the women's senior four and Queen's Park secured a second double sculls win in the women's junior 14 class.
The single sculls produced half a dozen more home winners with two each for Royals, Grosvenor and Queens Park High School.
This weekend the rowing scene focuses on the National Schools Regatta at Nottingham, with competition nearer home for Chester clubs at Northwich on Sunday and Monday.
