The scene is set at the 164th Henley Royal Regatta for a Grand Challenge Cup final to savour.
In today's semi-finals the University of Washington beat the Polish National eight racing as WKS Zawisza & RTW Lotto and will now meet the Great Britain men's eight racing here as Leander Club & Molesey B.C.
The British combination, stroked by double Olympic champion, Andrew Triggs Hodge, overcame the Poles by a very narrow margin a fortnight ago in the World Cup at Eton-Dorney. Since then the Olympic men's four champion Alex Gregory and the Olympic men's pair bronze medallist George Nash, have joined the crew. So a close race is predicted.
GB Rowing Team Men's Chief Coach Jurgen Grobler said: "Fourteen days ago, we were just ahead of the Poles and here Washington beat them by over a length. But we've made some changes in the eight and the guys have been going well."
Washington coach Michael Callaghan said: "We knew the Poles would be pretty quick off the start and we tried to stay with them. But it was in the middle part of the course that we took some really solid strokes."
Nathaniel Reilly O'Donnell, Scott Durant, Matt Tarrant and Alan Sinclair will feature in the Stewards' Challenge Cup for men's fours, having beaten a strong New Zealand outfit today.
They now face three of the crew from South Africa who won gold at the London Olympic Games in the lightweight four. Again a close encounter is in prospect.
Tideway Sculler and Olympic bronze medallist Alan Campbell could have mixed emotions as he goes to the start line of tomorrow's Diamond Challenge Cup for men's single scullers. He faces Aleksandr Aleksandrov who was fifth in the Olympic final and the two men are close friends who teamed up to race the Head of the River recently.
Aleksandrov of Azerbaijan today toppled Luka Spik of Slovenia in the semi-finals. He created a modest lead early in the race and then had enough power and pace to move out to victory in the final phase of the race.
New Zealand's Olympic champions, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, as expected, are in the final of the Silver Goblets for men's pairs. They were comfortable winners against South African opposition today.
Britain's inaugural female Olympic gold medallist Helen Glover will also feature on the race-card tomorrow. She is racing with twice Olympic silver medallist Frances Houghton plus GB newcomers Vicky Meyer-Laker and Polly Swann in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup as a Leander Club & Bath Minerva composite.
Somewhat against the form guide, they will race the crew from California Rowing Club in tomorrow's final who overcame the GB squad quadruple scull in today's semis.
There was heartache today for Thames R.C. in the Thames Challenge Cup, they lost to Griffen B.C. by a mere canvas.
Packed enclosures today witnessed a sensational schoolboy race between Hampton School and St Edwards' School. Eventually the latter proved too strong and will now race Abingdon School who, in the style of the British Lions, won today against Australian opposition from Scotch College, Melbourne.
Latymer Upper School set a record in winning their Junior Women's Quadruple Scull semi-final against Gloucester R.C and now race Headington School in tomorrow's final.
Earlier in the day Bill Lucas and Matt Langridge showed the progress they have made since coming together for the Eton Dorney World Cup just two weeks ago when they handed a heavy defeat to the Chambers brothers in the Double Sculls Challenge at Henley Royal Regatta this morning.
The margin of victory over the Chambers siblings - Peter and Richard - who are representing Leander Club here but who more usually compete as the GB Rowing Team lightweight men's double, was bigger than expected.
Coach Mark Banks was delighted with his open-weight charges and says they are looking forward to a close final tomorrow with New Zealanders Arms and Manson as the opposition.
A Leander-Molesey composite club eight featuring many of those hoping to emerge into the national squad put in a great performance to row through the University of Washington junior varsity eight to gain a place in the final of the Ladies' Plate.
"Rowing at bow I was the only one in the boat who could see Washington at the Barrier but our rhythm was so good, I knew we would come through", said University of London's Oliver Cook.
A tinge of drama marked a race umpired today by Olympic legend and Regatta Steward Sir Matt Pinsent. A clash between the two Visitors' fours from Harvard 'B' and Thames R.C. during which the latter crew broke a blade has meant a re-row which Harvard 'B' won. They will now race Harvard 'A' days after the death of their legendary coach Harry Parker.
"They seemed to come into our water and Sir Matt may have been warning them but anyway we broke a blade and we must race this evening", said Thames R.C.'s Pete Randolph.
Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova is through to tomorrow's final, overcoming local favourite and former GB Olympian Debbie Flood who is this year's Leander Club captain. She will meet New Zealand's Emma Twigg, fourth in the London Games final, who beat another Leander rower and current GB international Vicky Thornley.
Twigg said: "I expected Victoria to be pretty strong opposition, she did well in the World Cup at Dorney. I expected her to go out fast which she did. It was a matter of staying relaxed, composed and rowing through.'
'It's been a busy few weeks for me. I was in Amsterdam last week and I'm doing four regattas in four weekends, which is challenging. So it's all about recovering and making the most of what we're doing before the World Championships in South Korea.'
Legendary British coach Mike Spracklen was named recently as the new Russian NationalCoach and takes up his duties next season. He took the opportunity at the Regatta this morning to watch as the students from St Petersburg Universitywere beaten by a strong crew from the Netherlands, D.S.R. Laga.
Racing starts tomorrow at 11.30 with 20 races scheduled. Prize-giving will be at 16.30.
**added at 2:30pm**