SIX members of the Phoenix Indoor Rowing club have returned from the World Indoor Rowing Championships in USA with no medals, but their heads held high.

The club, based at West Wickham pools, were taking on more than 2,000 competitors in Boston as part of Team GB.

As with UK-based event, the World Championships use a Concept 2 indoor rowing machine and the races were over 2,000m.

The machines were linked by computer and the race transposed onto a large screen for the excitement of the spectators.

Rose Donaghy, 57, and Peggy Connolly, 54, were the first to compete.

Despite the jet lag and the dry conditions of the Agganis Arena, both ladies did extremely well to finish in the top 10 in their respective categories.

Rose, competing in the 55-59 heaveyweight (hwt) division came eighth, while Peggy was seventh in the 50-54 lightweight (lwt) section.

Next to compete was 40-year-old Philip Young in the 40-49 lwt category who, despite the arrid conditions, knocked almost six seconds off his personal best finishing in a time of 6mins 45.6secs.

He was delighted to finish seveth position as the top placed British rower in his category.

Coach Kimberley Naylor-Perrott, 40, competed in the 40-49 hwt section.

Recovering from a chesty cough, she rowed consistently throughout the race managing to sprint the final 500m and was very pleased to finish sixth - just 1.5 seconds separated fourth and sixth places.

With just a few minutes to recover, she then coxed the next Phoenix rower to compete in the 30-39 hwt category.

It was Macarena Young's first major event having never rowed in the British Championships before.

The 37-year-old embraced the experience and gave 100 per cent to finish ninth in the world.

Finally, Carly Connolly, 25, competed in the Blue Riband event the Ladies Open hwt.

Conditions were incredibly dry but Carly gave her all and Kimberley was very proud of the way she stayed the course, when she so easily could have given up the fight.

Coach Kimberley said: "The trip was amazing, an emotional roller coaster in the circumstances.

"I am so proud each of us had the courage to go out there and compete, where others fear to tread.

"Despite the jet lag and fatigue and the arrid conditions in the arena, not to mention the fact many of us raced in what would have been evening time in the UK, everyone gave 100 per cent and deserved their positions in the world."