Three of the four GB Rowing Team para-rowing crews in action today will feature in Wednesday's semi-finals after winning their heats today.
The success of single-scullers Tom Aggar and Rachel Morris, along with the reigning World Champion mixed coxed four, was backed by a heart-warming debut from the mixed double scull of Laurence Whiteley and Lauren Rowles.
Whiteley had trained for months and months in the non-Paralympic trunk-arms single scull category in the hope that a suitably-classified female would emerge. HIs team-mates and the national governing body even resorted to social media to "find Laurence a lady".
Former wheelchair track racer Lauren Rowles emerged and today, aged just 17, she made her World Championships debut with Whiteley. The duo were fourth and will now need a repechage to progress tomorrow but they were firmly in the mix in a close contest in the world-class field.
"That feels so good", said Whiteley. "The countdown to the actual race seemed to take so long but then it was over so quickly. I was aware that we had passed the 500m mark but then really don't remember much until the finish.
"To be within in a hair's breadth of such world-class crews was fantastic for our first race together. We can learn from that and take it into the repechage".
Rowles added: "I was a bit nervous at the start but then I remember thinking that we were in France and in a heat of the World Championships and we should just enjoy it. i am really pleased and now let's see what we can do".
Earlier Rachel Morris produced one of the gutsiest finishes of the day to pull past her rivals and win her heat having been in third at halfway.
Morris admitted that she didn't know that she had won until she crossed the line. "I was just focussed on my own boat and in my own race. I didn't know that I was closing on them nor that I had won".
Tom Aggar produced an entirely different race pattern as he went out strong and early to dominate a heat in which 2012 Paralympic Champion Huang Chen was seen as the potential danger but who eventually finished fourth.
"i've been working on getting out quicker', said Agggr. "I'm pleased with today. That was a good start but there is still a lot to do".
A slight delay at the start did not seem to affect the GB Rowing Team mixed coxed four of Grace Cloug,h, Dan Brown, Pamela Relph, James Fox and cox Oliver James. They were away quickly and built a big lead and were chased home by Canada.
"I think we are pleased with that. We certainly went out with the intention to produce a solid first three-quarters of the race and I think we did exactly that. It was solid. No fireworks".
Tomorrow's racing programme includes GB crews racing in the repechages of the men's four and quad, and the para-rowing mixed double.
RACE REPORTS
Rachel Morris put in a gutsy performance to win her heat of the arms-shoulders women's single scull and successfully open the afternoon's session for the GB Rowing Team.
The 2008 Paralympic hand-cycling champion who transferred in 2013 to rowing was in third at halfway but always looked a threat to the leading duo of Lyudmila Vauchok of Belarus and Claudia Santos of Brazil.
Achingly, stroke by stroke Morris reeled them in to take the honours with perfect timing at the line in 5:25.43 to Santos' 5:26.19 with Vauchok third in 5:30.73. These top three scullers will now feature in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Tom Aggar was drawn in a very tough heat here. The 2008 Paralympic Champion, 2014 World silver medallist and several times former World Champion faced London 2012 Paralympic Champion Cheng Huang with only one rower progressing to the semis.
Inevitably the duo were the first to show at the head of the field but were also challenged by the German and Argentine scullers. Aggar surged out at halfway to a length lead and then built on that to take a clearwater position at the head of the field.
As the race came along the grandstands it was clear that Aggar was determined to book the lone qualifying semi-final place. He was relentless to the line to win in 5:01.43. Germany took second and Cheng third.
Laurence Whiteley experienced a special moment today when he made his World Championships debut in the mixed trunk-arms double scull. The sculler had trained alone for two years until 17 year-old former wheelchair track racer Lauren Rowles emerged as a potential partner who classified in this event.
Today they were in the mix to the end of their heat which was won by Australia who booked the only qualifying slot for Thursday's final. They now race a repechage tomorrow.
Paralympic Champion Pamela Relph with Grace Clough, Dan Brown, James Fox and cox Oliver James started as favourites in heat two of the mixed coxed four races today. They are the reigning World Champions and set a world best time when they last raced at the world cup in Italy.
In lane three and flanked by Brazil and the Ukraine, the GB combination got a good start and moved out to an early lead, chased by Canada in lane one. By halfway the British boat had made it safe with a clear-water and three second lead. They went on to win in 3:20.69 to move into the semis.