APART from hosting their annual Coast Amateur Rowing Association regatta on Saturday, members of Deal Rowing Club will be waiting for news from Banyoles, in Spain, where Deal’s Ben Smissen is likely to be competing for Britain in the Junior 18 coxless fours final at the world junior championships.

Smissen and his crew-mates Ben Smith, Robin Esjmond-Frey, and David Lambourn, won their heat in convincing style ahead of Germany and Croatia to qualify for Friday's semi-finals.

Several members of the Deal club, led by captain James Morgan, flew out to Spain this week to support 16-year-old Ben. Morgan said: “Ben’s crew won their heat easily and David Tanner, the Great Britain team manager, feels they have a really good chance of winning a medal.”

Morgan and co would loved to have stayed on in Banyoles to watch Saturday’s final, but instead they had to return home for their own regatta.

Morgan will be rowing in Deal’s Men’s Senior Four, where Smissen’s place will be filled by James Morton, who was in the crew that won at Deal Regatta 12 months ago after a tough battle with Herne Bay.

Deal are making a strong challenge this season for the Senior Fours title, which they haven’t won since 1998.

Deal’s Junior-Senior Four, meanwhile, will seal their championship if they win on Saturday and Morgan added: “After having so many different rowers in the Junior-Senior boat, it will be a good indication of the club’s strength in depth if we manage to win that title.”

Saturday will also see a welcome return to racing by the experienced Deal Ladies’ Pair of Sam Card and Sharron Mullaney, and along with a Ladies’ Senior Four of Jane Shorter, Alice Creed, Abi Perkins and Emma Battersea, they should give Deal a good chance of winning the Aggregate Trophy.

Regatta organiser Dave Bowman, the Deal club vice-chairman, will be keeping his fingers crossed for good weather on Saturday.

The Coast Amateur Rowing Association season has been severely disrupted thus far, with the Folkestone Regatta last Saturday the latest victim.

The regatta had to be abandoned because of dangerous conditions, and Bowman said: “If the wind changes round to a north-easterly on Saturday, we will have a problem.”

He added: “I would like to thank everybody at the club who has worked so hard to prepare for Saturday, and also J&R Carpets of Deal for sponsoring the Men’s Senior Four again and Jimmy Davies for engraving all the trophies.”

Racing starts at 10.30am. The crews will row a 2,000-metre course from the Deal clubhouse on The Marina down to the first turns near the Pier, then head back past the clubhouse before turning for home near the Coastguard Station.