ROWING: Marlow's women warmed up for this weekend's national championship in Nottingham with a morale-boosting victory at the Bedford Regatta.

The women's senior two quad of Clare Hayley, Helen Selden, Kim Wilson and Jo Chesney showed they are running into form at the right time when they dominated the opposition over the 600m course to win by four lengths.

The Mens' senior three four also had a good day. Stroked by Hugh Johnson, with Richard Ainley, Rob Downie and Jack Cresswell with Coxen Fay Beanland they easily disposed of Staines RC in the first round and then gave Peterborough the same treatment in round two.

But the final, against a strong Stratford upon Avon crew, was a much tougher affair with Marlow nosing home to win by just three feet.

In the mens single sculls Dave Vernon had the only success winning his first round before going out to the eventual winner by just over a length.

In the J15 double sculls Nicola Dinsey and Rachael Stallwood were unfortunate to meet the eventual winners form Bedford in the first round. They lost by six feet to a crew who won the rest of their races easily.

In J15 quad sculls the boys of Sir William Borlase's C crew won through three rounds to take the title.

But in the girls J14 quad sculls Marlow's crew of Abby Fox, Rachael Finnis, Sophie Steventon and Sarah Briggs beat Borlase's in round one on their way to a final in which they were beaten by the Dame Alice Harper crew by just three feet.