GREAT BRITAIN'S flagship four ruled the waves again on a windy Polish national rowing course in Poznan as they crushed world champions New Zealand and silver medallists Italy in their opening World Cup heat.

Elsewhere, World Cup double scull leaders Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter also saw off world champions Denmark to win their heat.

With Andy Hodge and Tom James back on board, it was the first full-strength appearance of the men's four targeting the defence of the Olympic title in Beijing.

And after the sinking feeling of Lucerne three weeks ago, where Cheltenham Olympic champion Steve Williams and Nailsworth naval officer Peter Reed finished a lowly eighth with two subs on board, they bounced right back yesterday in Poznan, cruising in with clear water to spare from the Italians and finishing a full two lengths up on the Kiwis.

“That was a big race after Switzerland, because we had the world champions and silver medallists in there and we beat them,” said two-time world champion Reed. “I'm very encouraged by that and I felt full of beans just sitting clear water in front.

GB hit the front early on and went through the 500m mark a canvas up on Argentina with the Kiwis and Italy already nearly a length down.

The Argentinians paid for their fast start in the second quarter and the Brits had clear water on the Italians at half way with the world champions still struggling in fifth nearly two lengths adrift.

GB dropped the rating to 34 strokes a minute to keep the margin through the 1500m mark before lifting the rating to 38 in the drive for the line where they won by 3.63 seconds - a length and a half - from Italy, with Belarus feet back in third just holding off a late Kiwi charge, followed by Egypt and Argentina.

Purchase and Hunter pushed world champions Denmark into second by a third of a length in their opening lightweight doubles heat.

But despite the close margin, Bushley's Purchase said: “We were cruising it really, just doing enough to stay in front.”

It was the eighth straight win in a row for Purchase and Hunter after taking gold in Germany and Switzerland.

The time of six minutes 14.16 seconds was second fastest overall behind Greece, who were two seconds quicker winning the first of the three heats from Italy.