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I have the answer but the wordplay to the 'One in four rowing' clue is eluding me.

Merenz, you are missing several non-replaced letters

Drxx makes an excellent point. Digits could be excluded from any letter count. I think your grid is probably right if you have the line by line message, Merenz.

Buzzb, the clue uses a metonym for rower, I.e their implement. The first letter is extra

Thank you quisling, drxx and buzzb. This is most helpful. I’m firing up Excel and I’m going in again

And the wine is a collection (3 letters) after 'a(bout)'.

Thanks quisling, though I don't see why 'one of four' needs to be there.

Granted, Buzzb. Perhaps to satisfy his other clue constraints?

LOL. I have nurdled, battered and bludgeoned my way through this. Cold solved 36 clues before the penny dropped that the 3 letter answers actually lead to something significant re the 4 letter ones and started the grid fill...which helped create a full grid. I have the messages - every letter....and I don't have a clue what they're supposed to mean, after applying the first one from the double letters.

Having got that far, my interest dwindled. 😕

If you decide to go on, granama1, try reading the message with an apostrophe in the first of the repeated words and an apostrophe in the word immediately before the repeat - the next 3 words are for later.

Well, that was unexpected!
I feel the lack of clue numbering was detrimental to my enjoyment of the puzzle. I had cold solved dozens before getting a foot in the door in the NE corner. Even then, it was a slog to get answers positioned. I wasn’t too put off by the messages and alterations in the end game, and then I came to appreciate the abstruse clues. The absence of various indicators didn’t really colour my opinion. Overall a good puzzle that was, I think, overly daunting at the outset.