The opening day of the Essen International Regatta yielded no victories but some tight racing which was the GB Rowing Team's aim in attending this traditional two-day regatta.
Andrew Triggs Hodge, Peter Reed, Mohamed Sbihi and Alex Gregory were engaged closely by the top German men's four throughout the first half of today's final in which they finished second by a few tenths.
The British combination led by a second at halfway and were still holding a third of a length under pressure with 300m to go.
"Then the Germans came through just at the line", said Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director.
"That's what we came here for though", he added. "To get some tight racing across the two days as part of our preparation for the World Cup at Eton Dorney at the end of next month. So, it's already been very useful".
Marcel Hacker put in a home crowd-pleasing performance to win the men's single scull today for Germany from Alan Campbell in second and Jonny Walton in fifth. Slovenia took third and the Dutch fourth.
Germany were dominant in the men's double with Bill Lucas and Matthew Langridge coming home in fourth place behind three German crews. All German rowers in Essen this weekend are not just racing for event titles but also for selection to the German squad.
Croatia, the Olympic silver medallists, pipped GB to the line in an exciting men's quadruple scull final in which the British quartet came from a third of a length down at halfway to lead by half a canvas with 500m to go.
In the final sprint to the line Croatia just got the verdict over Charles Cousins, Peter Lambert, Sam Townsend and Graeme Thomas.
The men's eight - featuring a lot of new names this season - were alsso second to a Polish combination who were world cup winners in Munich last year. The Poles got out to an early lead and took the win by two seconds from GB with France in third.
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