A BUMPER 456 rowing boats from 42 clubs will launch out onto the River Wye this weekend for the annual two-day Monmouth Regatta.

The Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored event has attracted 227 boats to its 1500m Saturday event, with 182 races from 9am to 6.30pm.

And Sunday’s ‘fly and die’ 750m sprint sees 229 boats going head-to-head in 177 races from 9am to 6.36pm.

More than 1,000 rowers will be racing, and clubs coming include City of Oxford, Exeter, Falmouth, Wallingford and Nottingham, while local schools Monmouth, Haberdashers’ Monmouth and Monmouth Comprehensive will be defending home waters.

Monmouth RC’s Eric Froggatt said: “It’s a great entry, and we’ve also got boats from GB’s World Class start centres Bath University and Hartpury, so you could spot a future Olympic medallist.”

In the Phil Mathew Memorial Trophy invitation 8s, Old Monmothians will be looking to recapture the title they won in 2011 on Saturday.

And in the Alec Woods Ladies Plate on Sunday Haberdashers’ old girls will want to see off Bewdley and Hereford.

Former Minister for Sport and British Olympic Association chief Colin Moynihan is also attending, as his former Monmouth School crews of 1969/1970 hold a reunion.

The squad, which includes Olympic medallist Charlie Wiggin, will be having a row past on Saturday at 12 noon.