THERE may be another water related story brewing in the South Hams, but this time it's good news.

Someone may have been pouring the Elixir of Youth into Dartmouth’s mains supply and the outcome is that the senior citizenry are rampaging victorious across the Gig rowing world.

Dart’s Golden female Masters topped the podium at the inaugural European Championships held at Mount Edgcumbe over the long weekend of the second to fifth of July and their only slightly younger open Vet compadres came in second.

The Maroon Marauders also had crews showing strongly in the Under 16 and women’s senior categories, the youngsters in particular gracing the podium with a third place in their final race.

Plymouth Sound provided a sparklingly beautiful backdrop to three days of intensive and sweaty competition bringing over 300 crews from all corners of the Globe from Essex to the Isles of Scilly.

The Dart women masters had been successful in the opening two rounds of the competition coasting home first, the flat conditions favouring their distinctive “PowerMax” approach.

However, in tournament rowing, it is the final which counts and many doughty opponents lined up alongside them for the 1500m showdown. Lurking alongside like hungry barracuda were “Nipper,” “Charm” and the ever enigmatic “Q.”

After nervous jostling on the line the race was on, the early running was made by the ladies of Barnstaple aboard the fearsome red “Nipper,” throwing back mighty puddles at 2.5m/s, the North Devonians had engaged flow setting and were cruising for Gold.

At this point Dart, harried mid pack by close neighbours Teign seemed distracted and at one point, Yealm almost unnoticed dodged into first place. A pell mell dog fight ensued but when the dust settled the Destroyers surged from the fray decisively ahead, pedal to the metal they rowed for Victory.

The Dart open vets would have an even more torrid journey to the podium. The opening rounds were dispatched with business-like efficiency, but it was obvious one mighty elephant sat on the final start line adjacent to them and it could not be ignored - An Dhowrlann the "White Devil of Caradon,” the ghost ship which haunts many a rower’s dreams.

After a nervous start, it was briefly a four-horse race, “Smudger” duking it out across the chop at 10 knots with “Whitford” and “Charm” in pursuit.

Inevitably, the “White Ship” barely out of cruise control pulled away for its own solo adventure. The fight was on for second and third which the Maroon Platoon won.

The Under 16’s are a squad in formation and enjoyed a busy journey to the final in the B race.

There they met many faces which will doubtlessly become familiar over the forthcoming years. Battles which will be repeated over and over with only mild variation in outcome and participation.

For their final, they jostled alongside “Wolf” and “Torrent” as well as an inevitable Caradon boat, they started slowly but showed mettle to plough through to the end leaving Boscastle in their wake for a third.

The women's senior section had an equally busy regatta on the aquamarine sea achieving 25th and fourth place in a field of 80. All round, a great effort from the club.