MARLOW Rowing Club is thriving after a timely visit from the GB Rowing squad.

Just a month ago multiple world champion Katherine Grainger and the rest of the all-conquering British squad dropped in to use the club’s equipment.

While they were there they spoke to the young rowers, passing on pearls that appear to have been taken on board.

In the past fortnight the girls from Marlow Rowing Club have competed at two events and no one has got near them as they picked up eight podiums at the Thames Valley Trial Head and four more at the Hampton Head.

Coach Colin Picton, who works alongside head coach Brett King, said: “From 14-18, this is the best squad I’ve had here. We’ve had some stars, some girls that have gone through GB trials and even into the squad, but never the depth of talent that we have now.

“It’s richer this year than ever before.”

And the results prove it.

Catherine Foot and Gemma Armstrong started the ball rolling two weekends ago when they defeated six other crews to win the WJ17 category.

They completed the 1.9km course at Dorney Lake in a time of 8.06.40 to win by more than 15 seconds.

Foot was at it again at Hampton last weekend when she powered to another victory in the WJ18s, finishing the 3km course nearly 20 seconds ahead of anyone else.

It was almost Graingeresque.

Picton said: “The GB squad were all very generous with their time when they were here, but Katherine Grainger spoke to her [Foot] in particular and gave her a few things to work on.”

With Foot heading off to round two of the GB trials later this month, the timing couldn’t be better.

But she wasn’t the only one to impress, and it’s actually the age group down where Marlow’s real strength rests.

They have so much talent in the WJ14s category that they could afford to enter two coxed quads teams at Dorney and Hampton yet still dominate both.

In Julia Jemielity, Jodie Wright, Phoebe Mansfied, Tegan Foister, cox Vicky Wilding, Caroline Deban, Eve Cox, Molly Harding, Amy Robertson and cox Jess Croll, Marlow have two WJ14 coxed quads crews of real potential.

At Dorney they blew everyone else away and raced each other to first and second, and it was a similar story at Hampton with Marlow taking first and third.

On top of this, the WJ14 eights crew raced in competition for the first time ever at Dorney and promtly won.

Julia Jemeity, Tegan Foister, Jodie Wright, Caroline de Ban, Amy Robertson, Molly Harding, Heidi Long and Phoebe Mansfield with cox Vicky Wilding saw off strong challenges from Sir William Borlase and Great Marlow School to take the victory.

Picton said of his WJ14s: “We’ve never had so many talented girls in one age-group before.”

Capping off the club’s success, Marlow entered two WJ16 crews at Dorney and finished second and third, before adding another second at Hampton.

The WJ16s are Abi Armstrong, Anna Smart, Louise Cox, Ayomi Rajapaske, Annie Hobden, Charlotte Wilding and Harley Moran.