GREAT BRITAIN'S flagship four may have lost two men overboard in a matter of days, but the Beijing gold medal hopes were back on top dominating their heat at the first World Cup regatta of the season yesterday.
GB's four faced down their demons on a course where they lost their world title, finishing fourth only eight months ago.
Cheltenham's Alex Partridge lost his seat in a shake-up announced last week, putting Tom James on board with Cheltenham Olympic champion Steve Williams, Nailsworth naval officer Peter Reed and Oxford Blue Andy Hodge.
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But James pulled out injured two days ago and the musical chairs saw Monmouth's world Eights medallist Tom Lucy catapulted into the bow seat.
Any fears that it might be a bridge too far for the GB flagship were dispelled in only 30 seconds of racing, though, as they shot off the blocks to dominate a field that included world finalists Slovenia, who they only narrowly beat by one place in the worlds last year.
They had clear water over the rest of the field by the first quarter 500m mark and sat at a comfortable 35 strokes a minute, easily holding the east European crew's midway attack and a late push by Germany to win their heat in the second fastest qualifying time.
GB won in six minutes and 32.13 seconds, finishing two lengths up on Germany with Slovenia taking the third qualifying slot half a length back and Greece and Belarus pushed into the second-chance repechage.
They were a good two seconds quicker than anyone else to halfway before cruising the rest of the race, finally finishing 0.2 seconds quicker than Holland's winning heat time, who had to overhaul another German boat to win, while the Czech Republic set the benchmark 0.8 seconds faster than GB, beating world silver medallists Italy in a tight race.
World singles record holder Purchase was just as impressive winning his doubles heat with Mark Hunter on the course where they won world bronze last year, going head to head with the Kiwis to halfway before blowing them out of the water in the third quarter and paddling home three lengths clear in 7:12.53 to make today's quarter finals.
Gregory's quadruple scull, however, have work to do in today's repechage if they are to make tomorrow's semis.
They were last through halfway and just pipped Romania for fifth, finishing a good eight seconds off a direct qualifying place in a heat won by Germany.
And they need to find something extra if they are to convince the selectors to send them to the last chance Olympic qualifying regatta in Poland next month.
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