HANTS and Dorset champions and representative crews put in their final training sessions this week in preparation for the 48th South Coast Rowing Championships to he held at Bideford on Saturday.

In North Devon they will compete against the champions and runners up from both the Coast Amateur RA and the West of England RA.

BTC, the current senior south coast champions, will be defending their title.

After dominating local racing, they are thought to be in with a good chance of success.

But a shock defeat at Dartmouth two weeks ago, when they were fourth behind Shoreham, Deal and Worcester, is a warning that nothing is certain .

Ably supported by Ryde Rowing Club, a lot will depend on the draw for positions if the Bideford Bowl is to be retained for a second term.

Veterans Racing, in the Championship programme for the first time, when crews will race for a new trophy donated by Hants and Dorset Past President Dennis Woodford, should prove to be well contested by all three associations.

There has been an upsurge of interest by past senior champions coming back into the sport to compete at this level.

Both Southsea, the Hants and Dorset champions, and runners-up BTC must be in with a shout, with Southsea probably just favourites.

Christchurch RC are looking to repeat their 1998 success in the Junior Senior Championship event.

Unbeaten in all their races this year, and ably supported by gold medal coach Mike Green, and club captain Mike Wall, they will once again start as hot favourites. BTC, after a very indifferent season, are outsiders.

The Men's Junior Championship will once again be the most open of races. Represented by champions Westover & Bournemouth RC and Christchurch RC, the Hants and Dorset have an excellent chance with either crew capable of winning.

The Ladies Senior Championship is difficult to predict as neither Coalporters, the Hants and Dorset champions, or BTC have the prominence of past champions.

A lot will depend on how well they adapt to the Olympic-standard boats on the day.

With two well-matched Hants and Dorset crews in the Ladies Junior Fours, and little to gauge the ability of the other two associations on, this one is difficult to call.

Southsea could again find the explosive finish they showed at BTC Regatta, while Coalporters, the Hants and Dorset's youngest ever representative crew, are aiming to become double championship winners.

HANTS AND DORSET REPRESENTITIVE CREWS:

MEN'S EVENTS:

Senior Fours

BTC RC: David Larkin, Simon Collis, Matt Bailey, Simon Bailey (Stroke) Sarah Wardell (Cox)

Ryde RC: Mark Jenner, Matt Allsopp, Ian Hayden, Nick Pike (Stroke) Tom Clarke (Cox)

Veteran Fours

Southsea RC: Peter Mahoney, Jeff Watling, Paul Hollis, Mike Gisbourne (Stroke) Dee Lawrence (Cox)

BTC RC: Ray Green, Malcolm Hume, Colin Brockman, Steve Wardell, Colin Harrison, (Stroke) Sarah Wardell (Cox)

Junior Senior Fours

Christchurch RC: Dan Batchelor, Sam Vye, Mike Ryan, Mike Kelly (Stroke) Emily Walshaw (Cox)

BTC RC: Simon Edwards, Chris Lowry, Steve Holloway, Wayne Harrison Stroke). Sarah Wardell (Cox)

Junior Fours

Westover & Bournemouth RC: Mark Vidler, Garry Cure, Garry Stephens, Mark Green (strk) Laura Viner (cox)

Christchurch RC: Dan Batchelor, Sam Vye, Mike Ryan, Mike Kelly (stroke) Emily Walshaw (cox)

LADIES' EVENTS:

Senior Fours

Coalporters ARC: Sil Wallach, Fiona Scrimgeour, Cathy Paget, Caroline Munday (stroke) Viv Chmarny (cox)

BTC RC: Jo Hackwood, Kath Hyde, Rachell Downes, Clare Evans (stk) Catherine Hume (cox).

Junior Fours

Coalporters ARC: Rebecca Henderson, Antonia Maunder Kate Hadfield Jesse Hadfield ( Stroke) Penny Glazzard (Cox)

Southsea R.C: N Mottalib,T McDonald, K Hughes, W Saunders (stk) Cynthia Mynhardt (cox)

Southampton Amateur Rowing Club's Paul Askam-Spencer has struck gold again at the Adaptive World Championships.

Askham-Spencer, who is visually impaired, joined forces with three other rowers - none of whom are from Hampshire - to win the mixed coxed fours in Spain.

The Adaptive championships are for rowers with disabilities, primarily sight-related.

BTC's John Purkess, Ray Green, Norman Harper, Dave Wyatt (stroke) and Sarah Wardell Cox) won their over-60s section at the World Masters Championships held in Germany.

Against a line-up that included teams from Germany, the United States, England and the Netherlands, BTC won the 1,000m event by three lengths in 44.45secs.