THERE were few surprises among the expected title-chasing crews as they contested the Southampton Coastal Head of the River Race held from Riverside Park to the Itchen Bridge last Saturday.

But it was a close call, and with only 20 seconds between the leading eight senior crews, the prospect for a competitive Hampshire & Dorset Championship season is assured.

Ryde (AP Neville, I Hayden, N Pike, M Allsop (stk) C Salter (cox)) won the Senior Cup and Head of the River men's pennant, scambling home just one second in front of Southsea A in a time of 17min 20sec, with BTC A just four seconds behind them .

For Ryde, victory completed a pre-championship season build up with three wins under their bows whilst Southsea with their 2000 Championship squad back for the event must be tempted to have another go for the South Coast Championship.

BTC A will be dark horses. They started their season's training later than usual and must be considered a real threat once again.

The transfer of two of last season's championship-winning juniors, Daniel Martin and Clive Kennedy-Burns from Bournemouth University, helped Christchurch secure the Junior/Senior Trophy.

Martin and Kennedy-Burns teamed up with T Hammond, J Foster (stk) Van Devenker (cox), and they once again looked a class act winning in a time of 17.33. The Christchurch crew finished well clear of BTC B who were just under a minute behind, with Ryde C in third place.

The junior section went to BTC D, with D Larkin, S Collis, D Harrison, B Larkin (stk) A Richardson (cox) well clear of Itchen Imperial and the BTC E crew in a time of 18.13.

Veteran racing, introduced for the first time on a handicap basis, was won by a very strong Southsea crew in a time of 18.21, closely followed by Shoreham 18.24 with Southampton third 18.51.

The Division 2 Ladies' Pennant was another closely fought battle with BTC Senior Ladies (C Worley, H Walford, J Wardell, N Marshall (stk) S Hutchison (cox)) just holding off Coalporters' senior ladies to win in a time of 19.55 again just one second clear. Poole Ladies completed the course in 20.09 to take third place.

The strongly-fancied Wessex senior ladies could only manage fourth place. Although finishing very strongly, they paid the price for not attacking the course from the start.

Westover won the Ladies' Junior Cup with A Hutchinson, I Stapeley, I Aitken, T Nichols (stk) P Johnson (cox) in a time of 20.34, with Coalporters second (20.49), and BTC third (21.46).

Poole's squad (K Frampton, L Angell, L Thorn, J Smith (stk)) clocked a time of 21.37 to finish well clear of BTC (22.58) and win the Ladies' novice section.

Ryde had further success, with their men's novice crew (S Johnson, N Christopher, O Botthill, S Hunt (stk) K Salter (cox)) winning their section in 19.03. They were 30 seconds ahead of Southampton and Southsea to help their club take the Aggregate Trophy from BTC in a time of 54min 26sec.