SALLY Miles and Debbie Thompson got their revenge against a strong home crew on their way to winning at the Gloucester Regatta.

The Upton duo lost by some distance to their Gloucester opponents at Llandaff last month, but this time it was a different story.

The visitors took an early lead in the women’s masters A/B double sculls and seemed to have the race under control.

Gloucester pair mounted a fierce attack in the closing stages, but Miles and Thompson fought hard to hold on, crossing the line with a victory by just three feet.

This took them to the final where they met a lively crew from Cotswold Rowing Club but gradually opened up a lead to win by a length and three quarters.

Miles and Thompson were among a hat-trick triumphs for Upton with Liz Elston and Maggie Jameson running out the most convincing winners.

They won by four lengths from Dart Totnes, while Linda Scott, Pippa Riddle, Trish Scorer and Jo Hammett beat a City of Swansea crew by two lengths in masters E quadruple scull.

In the mixed masters A/B double sculls, Stuart Edney and Thompson expected to face a showdown in the final with Gloucester.

Upton had won the British Championship title in the masters B event earlier this year while Gloucester had won the masters A event.

But Gloucester were narrowly beaten in their semi-final by a powerful crew from Exeter who then took the title by a narrow margin.

Elsewhere Edney, Adam Checkley, Richard and Jon Eaton finished three-quarters of a length behind Runcorn who won the final of the masters C/D quadruple sculls comfortably, while James Oliver failed to progress in the singles sculls.

Oliver also competed at Ross in the master A singles sculls event where he was in contention for the first half of the race before having some steering difficulties.

This allowed his experienced opposition from Monmouth RC to pull away, eventually winning by several lengths.

The women’s masters E double of Hammett and Scott raced in a straight final with a crew from Dart Totnes.

The Upton ladies had a strong start which they backed up by following a good racing line and were rewarded by a win of one length over their opposition.

Meanwhile, Elston was in a winning composite women’s masters F coxed four against a Ross masters E crew with a clear win of two lengths.

And another composite women’s masters E coxed eight won a closer race against another Ross crew.