Rowing World Cup: Kat Copeland & Charlotte Taylor reach finals

Copeland and Taylor finished ahead of USA, Australia and New Zealand with a time of 6:48.58.

Kat Copeland and Charlotte Taylor set a new world record in the lightweight double sculls to reach the final of the second World Cup regatta of the season.

Britain's reigning European champions finished ahead of USA, Australia and New Zealand in a time of 6:48.38.

Theirs will be one of 12 British boats in 11 finals in Varese on Sunday.

Olympic champion Katherine Grainger and partner Vicky Thornley also made their final, finishing third in their double sculls semi behind USA and Germany.

As did reigning Olympic, world and European champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, who won their women's pair semi.

In the men's races, Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher qualified in second in the lightweight double sculls semi-finals, while Olympic bronze medallist Alan Campbell placed third in the single sculls to make Sunday's final.

The third and final World Cup regatta will begin on 10 July in Lucerne, Switzerland, with the overall winners in each event to be calculated based on points accumulated over the season.