Blues from both camps are taking part in the season’s Second World Cup in Poznan, Poland, from today with finals on Saturday 17 June.

Kieran West has moved into the stroke seat of the lead Great Britain eight in Poland. His crew, which also features Tom Stallard, a former light blue President like West, himself, is coxed by Acer Nethercott of Oxford fame.

Today in Poland they finished runners-up in their heat and now face a repechage tomorrow afternoon in an attempt to reach the final just as they did in Munich three weeks ago.

In the second GB eight, Tom Parker, from this year’s winning Oxford crew, returns after injury. Like West’s eight, this mixture of youth and experience will also race in tomorrow’s repechages. The crew is being coxed here by Seb Pearce, Nethercott’s successor as Oxford cox and part of the winning Blue crew earlier this year.

Andy Hodge and Peter Reed, meanwhile, in the stroke and three seat respectively, were comfortable winners of their men’s four heat with Alex Partridge and Steve Williams. This quartet, unbeaten since they were formed in early 2005, has now qualified for Saturday’s finals.

19 crews (61 rowers) are representing Great Britain at the regatta which also features New Zealand, quadruple gold medallists at last year’s World Championships, for the first time this season.