More Euro success for Joel

The Bann Rowing Club man clinched Gold alongside Sam Scrimgeour in Brandenburg.

Cassells won the title in 2015 when he was accompanied by fellow Coleraine man Peter Chambers.

“European Champions! Finishing a tough few months with a fantastic race to complete the set again with the pairs don that is Sam Scrimgeour,” said Joel.

“Thanks for all the support, onwards to Lucerne!”

They established very early clearwater over the rest of the field. Denmark’s Emil Espensen and Jens Vvilhelmsen were second ahead of the top German boat with Spain also showing well.

By halfway the GB duo had more than two seconds over the field and went on, in already breezy and bouncy conditions to win n over a length from Denmark in second and Spain third. GB’s winning time was 7:00.38.

“We could not be happier. It was phenomenal to carry on where Sam left off at the World Championships last year,” added Joel.

“Conditions were very trick and sometimes it was just about staying in the lane.”

Fellow Coleraine man Peter Chambers was part of the British four team that secured silver behind reigning world and European champions Switzerland.

Chambers, Mark Aldred, Jonno Clegg and Chris Bartley led the fours final at the halfway stage before the Swiss took control to win by a length.

Their silver came in a time of 6:47.73 and was a big step on from their ninth place at last year’s World Championships.

Alan Campbell, GB’s open men’s single sculler, closed out his European Championships with a third place in the B final in a race won by Cedric Berrest of France in 7:15.80.

Campbell said afterwards that he had been suffering badly from hay fever over the weekend in Germany.

Richard Chambers withdrew from the lightweight men’s double scull with Will Fletcher as he continues his recovery from a hand injury