LOCAL rowers are aiming to strike gold for Great Britain at the World Championships, which begin in New Zealand on Sunday.

Chris Bartley, Olivia Whitlam and Vicky Thornley will all be in action for their country on Lake Karapiro.

Thornley, 22, and Whitlam, 25, will team up in the women’s eight.

Whitlam, a former Chester King’s School pupil who hails from Daresbury, rowed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while Holt girl Thornley is a relative late-comer to the sport.

The former Abbey Gate College and Bishop Heber High School pupil is a successful graduate of the Sporting Giants programme and has made rapid progress since joining the GB rowing team’s Start Programme in November 2007.

Former King’s School rower Bartley, who has enjoyed plenty of medal success with Britain in this year’s World Cup Series, will go in the men’s four.

The 26-year-old, from Farndon, learned his trade on the River Dee but now rows with the Leander Club of Henley-on-Thames.

The women’s eight from Royal Chester Rowing Club made a storming start to their winter head racing season on Saturday.

Head of the river races are long distance stamina events over courses from 3-6k and the Royals’ intermediate three crew travelled to Salford to race at Agecroft Rowing Club.

The crew of Grace Long, Angela Sheldon, Hannah Worrall, Caroline Ealey, Laura MaGee, Jen Cumiskey, Anna Tweed, Sarah Hocknell and cox Laura Whiteley won their event, beating strong opposition from clubs and universities throughout the North West.

They were also the fastest women’s crew of the day.

For further information about Royal Chester Rowing Club, visit www.royalchesterrowingclub.co.uk