The regatta season has started well for Sudbury rowers Pippa Kerry and Bryony Dixon.

The two scullers teamed up as a double part way through last year and trained hard during the winter to make a serious bid for a National Masters title at the end of May.

The duo travelled to the Olympic venue of Eton Dorney to test their speed at the Marlow Spring Regatta.

Racing in the Masters C & D category, their opening heat, over 900m metres, saw the Suffolk crew handicapped by eight seconds against their older opponents.

However, a solid start and high early pace soon saw them hit the front by half distance and they secured a comfortable victory to progress to the final race.

With barely 10 minutes to recover, Kerry and Dixon were back out on the course for their final against a powerful crew from the host club, Marlow.

Their tactics paid off admirably, a blistering start giving them the early advantage and, when the power of the Marlow crew eased them in front at half distance, the Sudbury crew did not panic. They pushed hard in the closing stages, upped their rate of striking for a sprint finish, and shot through to win by half a length.

The result was also fitting reward for their coach, as the crew have been working with Ipswich’s Chris Jillings for just three months.

Jillings said: “I’m really pleased with the progress this crew has made in such a short time.

“The two athletes are each talented and determined, and we have moulded them together into a high quality crew that will undoubtedly go on to secure further successes in the future.”