ROWING: MARLOW Rowing Club athletes had a successful day at the first ever Marlow Town Regatta.

With the blue riband events of the regatta now taking place at Dorney Lake tomorrow, the Town Regatta was left to the juniors and novices and the host club emerged with flying colours.

In the women's novice fours there was a win for Marlow against Molesey RC. The crew of cox Krispin Knill, stroke Nikki Davis, Julie Mace, Jane Mannerings and bow Caroline Clayton-Jones were trailing for most of the race but produced a powerful finale to overtake their flagging opponents and win by half a length.

In the junior women's events, there were wins in the J15 double sculls for Helen Brewer and Jennifer Forester who beat clubmates Vicky Caroll and Karla Boddy in the final. The four girls then combined to win the J15 quad sculls.

In the J15 single sculls, Helen Brewer beat her Marlow clubmate Jennifer Forester who had an unfortunate collision with the bank.

In the women's novice single sculls there was a first sculls win for Caroline Hillaby who beat opposition from Sir William Borlase and Maidenhead.

Elsewhere, Marlow's elite men's coxed fours had a big win at Sunday's Reading Regatta, which counts as a pre-qualifying event for Henley.

They dominated their event beating Ross Rowing Club and the Tideway Club easily in the final to make up for the disappointment of only coming fourth at Docklands.

The crew of Richard Aplin, Marc Furlonger, Andy Grant, stroke Jim Cotter and cox Fay Beanland, will now be hoping for double success at the Marlow Regatta this weekend as they continue their preparation for Henley.

In the senior one coxed fours, the club's second four put up a good fight in the semi-final before going down to eventual winners Kingston by two lengths.

They will also be racing at Marlow Regatta and then getting down to the serious business of trying to qualify for Henley Royal Regatta in the Britannia Cup.

This weekend sees the pinnacle of the women's rowing season with the Henley Women's Regatta and Marlow will again be well-represented.

Jo Chesney, Helen Selden, Julie McCulloch and Tony Truman will compete in the open coxless fours while lightweight scullers Emily Booker and Catrin Jones are also competing.