BAR staff struggled to keep the Pimms cool as visitors to the Marlow Regatta enjoyed the hottest weekend of the year.

Thousands turned out for Saturday's historic rowing event the first to be held outside of Marlow at Eton College's multi-million pound rowing lake in Dorney.

Organisers, the owners of the lake and Sir Steve Redgrave all hailed the day a success with punters packing out the banks of the lake and crews from as far away as Brisbane, Australia, taking to the water.

There is already talk of the regatta becoming the most prestigious in the country.

The 147-year-old event was held in Marlow's Higginson Park until last year when subscribers voted in favour of a move to the purpose-built lake.

Tony Evans, one of the chief organisers, said: "I think it was a big success. All the crews enjoyed themselves and several people commented how we transferred the feel of Marlow to the lake."

From a rowing perspective, the regatta was the most successful in many years with ten elite eight-men crews entered this year compared to none last year.

Organisers shifted the event because another regatta was set to take Marlow's date at the lake thereby taking away all the top rowers.

Crews from Ivy League American universities and their British Red Brick counterparts battled it out on the lake with races running from 9am until 7pm.

Mr Evans added: "I think it has all been worth it. This is definitely the future of rowing. It will probably end up a two-day event but not straight away. We will be sitting down to assess things soon."

This year's event saw the scrapping of the general enclosure but with a huge picnic area along the bank of the lake, all could view the rowing.

Roderick Watson, director of Dorney Lake Trust, said: "We were very pleased with the turn-out for Marlow Regatta. It has certainly among the most successful events we have held here this year.

"The regatta is already attracting elite crews and in a short time it could become the most important multi-lane regatta in the country.

"Henley has its own unique atmosphere and it's a wonderful event but Marlow has the potential to be one of the most important, if not the most important, in the country."