ROWING: NORTHWICH carried their exciting form of the regatta campaign over to the first race of the winter season, leaving the Chester Long Distance Sculls event with five wins.

William Laughton won in the junior category and other singles successes were secured by Sian Murray in the Senior II race, setting the fastest women's time of the day in the process and Tom Carter in the lightweight Senior IIIs. It was a double glory for men's co-ordinator Carter, who was joined by Mike Rafferty, Jamie Leighton and Matthew Jump in the Senior IV quads.

After a fine performance at the world masters in Munich this summer, the veteran squad also won at Chester, with Brian Roberts and Simon Crouchley taking the Veteran C doubles.

Holmes Chapel's Carter rowed his way to a winner's cup at the Nottinghamshire Indoor Rowing Championship last week, the first race in the 2004-05 Concept 2 British Grand Prix series.

Carter competed over a mile on the indoor machines at Newark to win the Under 23 lightweight category in 5mins 18.5secs.