The girls from Headington School achieved a notable triumph in the Eton Schools Regatta at Dorney on Saturday.

Their success came in the women's championship coxless fours, but they were beaten into second place by their perennial rivals, Lady Eleanor Holles, in the championship eights.

Abingdon School and Radley College reached five finals each, to the delight of the numerous supporters in their two spectator gazebos erected at the finish.

The two schools had a series of great local battles, the most notable one in the championship eights where Abingdon snatched bronze from their neighbours in the closing stages.

Abingdon achieved another bronze in the junior 16 eights, just behind second-placed Radley, who took a bronze themselves in the junior 15 B eights, just ahead of Abingdon.

The regatta was staged at the request of school crews, particularly the eights, who failed to get a race in the sinking wind conditions at the National Schools Regatta two weeks previously.

This weekend sees the Reading Regatta, with Henley Royal Regatta fast approaching.

The Reading organisers received 440 entries for tomorrow's programme, for which they could accommodate only 225, and 320 crews for Sunday, which had to be pared down to 206.