MARLOW Regatta, the traditional curtain raiser for Henley Royal, and Henley Women's Regatta produced some tough competition for local crews.

Marlow's long day of multi-lane racing saw just one local winner, Oxford University, with 2005-06 president Barnie Williams involved in the victorious elite pairs with fellow Blue, Paul Daniels.

There were near misses for Magdalen College's senior 1 four and Radley's senior 3 and junior 14 octuple, all three coming second.

Competition was also tough at the three-day Henley event, but there was joy for Headington's top girls four in the school/junior section.

Headington, in spite of their recent success ratio, had never won at the event, but Charlotte Jefferies, Louise Connell, Lottie Howard-Merrill and Charlotte Moultrie, coxed by Emma Brown, broke the duck with an impressive showing.

They beat, among others, Americans from Groton School, unbeaten in the USA this year, and a composite Dame Alice Harpur/Evesham crew in the final, a line-up with some Great Britain potential rowers on board.

Osiris won a tough final against Birmingham University to win the intermediate eights.

They beat City of Oxford in the semi-finals, who also lost in the final of the elite coxed fours to Aberdeen, and the intermediate fours, where they went down to Agecroft.