THERE were successes for school crews from Radley, Headington and St Edward’s at the Reading Small Boats Head which took place in glorious autumnal conditions with minimal wind and stream, writes John Wiggins.

The processional time trial, run by Reading Rowing Club, offered racing for all boat sizes from singles to fours and quads, at all status levels and ages above J15.

With so many variables, too many events went uncontested or found the only competition was between boats from the same club.

This was most significant in the girls J15 events which were monopolised by Headington School leaving somewhat hollow victories for their girls in the fastest single, double and quad.

The senior IM1 single event was also heavily, but not exclusively Headingtonian, and was narrowly won by Katie King-Smith over schoolmate Danielle Semple in second place.

These two combined with Lydia Currie and Rosanna Little for the school’s other victory in IM1 quad sculls in the fastest time of any of the women’s boats.

St Edward’s suffered similar isolation in a number of events but came away with bona fide victories in the men’s IM3 coxed fours for Noah Phipps, Jamie Johnstone, Karl Reiger, Ben Sthamer and cox Jamie Galbraith, and the women’s IM3 double scull of Siobhan Mottram and Eloise Kiely.

Mottram raced again with Tilly Catlin producing the fastest time of the day of all the women’s double sculls.

Radley College crews were few in number but high in quality as they produced the fastest two coxed fours of the day.

The winning crew of James Brocklebank-Fowler, Oscar Perry, James Murrell, Miles Rowse and cox Felix Adams was one of only six boats to break the 13-minute barrier of the 369 boats that raced over 3,700m.

Wallingford RC’s only entry proved to be a success for John O’Donahue in the Masters D single scull.

Falcon RC’s best outcomes were second place for their women’s IM3 coxed four as well as second and third places for their two J16 boys doubles.