Abingdon and Shrewsbury Schools both exited Henley Royal Regatta earlier than they might have anticipated today as they were knocked out in the opening rounds of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for schoolboy eights.
The three racing sessions also saw some clashes, a restart and a mysterious case of melting oars as well as live broadcast for the first time since 1967.
King's School Canterbury were somewhat scuppered in their opening race of the same event when the spoon of the strokeman's oar parted company with the shaft mid-race.
They went on to lose out to the much-fancied Westminster School who are making an assault on rowing's hat-trick here, having already won the Schools' Head and the National Schools Championships.
Earlier a Canford School crew also lost an oar in similar fashion on their way to the start and their race was rescheduled.
Today's extreme heat, it would appear, caused the glue to melt between the plastic "spoon" and the carbon-fibre shaft of the high-tech oars.
Abingdon's early exit came at the hands of St Paul's School in the morning session and in the afternoon session Hampton School overturned Shrewsbury School in another unexpected outcome.
Bobby Thatcher, St Paul's coach, had nothing but respect for the Abingdon crew. "We thought it was going to be a really hard race so we were prepared for it being a complete gut-buster, and the result caught us by surprise."
"Abingdon are a really good crew, they're strong, they're big, they've got some outstanding guys in their boat, and we expected a fight all the way to the line. That's what we were prepared for".
Earlier Cantabrigian won the opening race of the day, a club eights race, against Marlow R.C. which featured Jordan Beecher, an amputee, who is trialling for the GB Rowing Team para-rowing squad.
Other Paralympians in action included 2012 Paralympic mixed coxed four champion James Roe competing in a Stratford-upon-Avon crew and 2013 World Champion, Oliver Hester, in an Upper Thames R.C. men's eight crew.
Drama unfolded in the Wyfold Challenge Cup men's fours race between local club Henley R.C. and N.S.R. Oslo. The crews clashed early and the umpire was forced to order a restart.
Both crews were repeatedly warned for their steering. Henley took an early lead but Oslo pulled ahead in the second half of the course to win in 7:30 by three and a half lengths.
Tyrian Club 'A' made the comeback of the day after hitting the wooden booms that mark the sides of the famous Henley course in their heat of the same event against Marlow R.C. The crunch dropped them two lengths behind before they recovered to win in 7:12 seconds and by more than three lengths.
Temperatures soared as the morning's races took place and Regatta Chairman Sir Steve Redgrave, in his inaugural year as Chairman of the Regatta, gave permission at 11.35am for only the fourth time in the past 39 years for gentlemen to remove their jackets in the Stewards' Enclosure.
Redgrave would have been delighted to see his old school (Great Marlow Comprehensive) competing in the Fawley Challenge Cup for junior quadruple sculls but perhaps not so delighted at their defeat to San Diego R. C. from the USA.
England football manager Roy Hodgson was a guest of Sir Steve and expressed his enjoyment of the experience. "It's been great coming here and seeing some good racing and to find out more about a sport like rowing. I've also enjoyed taking a step back in time and seeing some of the traditions", he said. "I'm very grateful for the experience that Sir Steve has given me by inviting me here".
Henley Royal Regatta will adjust its schedule to delay the planned 12 noon race on Friday so that rowers, spectators and all other Regatta personnel can observe the nationwide minute's silence called by the Prime Minister in respect of those who lost their lives in the recent events in Tunisia.