The Wallingford Regatta at Dorney, near Windsor, was such a success that next year's 50th anniversary event may be held there too.

The regatta has been held annually on the River Thames at Wallingford since 1952.

But the organisers decided to stage this year's event at Eton College's £18m rowing lake at Dorney due to foot and mouth restrictions.

The chance to race at the Olympic-standard rowing lake attracted more than 500 crews from across the country - twice the usual number.

As the regatta reaches its golden anniversary next year, there have been calls for it to be staged at Dorney's world-class facility again.

Regatta chairman Roger Brown said: "At the moment everybody is on a high after the weekend.

"But after a couple of weeks, we will have to sit down and consider where we are going to hold the golden anniversary regatta.

"Some people favour the river at Wallingford because crews learn how to race around bends and use the stream. We will have to make a decision."

Wallingford's own crews excelled at this year's event with four wins.

They triumphed in the elite coxless fours with victory over a Molesey crew containing Olympic gold medallist Johnny Searle and world lightweight gold medallist Toby Hessian.

Wallingford also took the women's elite coxless pairs, women's senior 3 eights and women's elite single sculls with Lulu Butler-Stoney winning by ten seconds after working all day as a race marshal.

Abingdon School won the senior 3 coxed fours and the 3rd eights, while Radley College captured both divisions of the under 15 eights.

Oxford Brookes University, based at Cholsey, won the women's senior 2 coxed fours.

Brown added: "This year's event was unknown territory for us, but it was a huge success."

Wallingford's mayor-elect, Theresa Jordan, presented the trophies, and Eton College received a brass plaque for making their rowing lake available.

**WALLINGFORD hold a boat-naming ceremony for four new boats at their Thames Street clubhouse on Saturday (12.30pm).