CITY of Oxford’s senior crews were in top form at the Upper Thames Autumn Head of the River, securing five successes.

But not to be outdone, the lightweight crews from Abingdon School and Oxford University also produced fine displays to ensure a good weekend for local rowers.

City’s Lucian Purvis, Rupert Pye-Watson, William Clarke and Simon Kerswell-Jensen produced the fastest time of the day in the coxless fours.

The quartet were nine seconds quicker than their coxed four of Benjamin Eames, Matthew Jones, Luke Kelly, Henry Drohan and cox Alissa Bray.

Eames and Drohan won the coxless pair, while Kim Salter and Caitlin Armstrong were victorious in the women’s double scull.

This was the second success for Armstrong after her earlier triumph in the women’s coxed four with Corinne Larkworthy, Lucy Martin, Louisa Taylor and cox Alex Black.

The 3km race up the river towards Henley was hastened by a stiff tailwind, much to the liking of both the men’s and women’s Oxford University lightweight squads.

The winning women’s crew contained only one from last year’s Blue boat, Hannah Patel, while the men’s boat of Roman Girn, George Spill, Tom Frost and Alexander Rowe-Jones clinched the Academic coxless fours.

Abingdon School, now with former pupil Rory Copus as head coach, clearly saw the benefit of their half-term training camp in Spain, winning three events.

Joe Nash, Robert Smith, James Stammers and Josh Braithwaite were the fastest junior coxless four, while Connor Brown and Matthew Wiblin continued their winning ways in the open pairs event.

Brown and Wiblin then combined to good effect with Braithwaite, Dan Wilmot and Joseph Salter to take the junior coxed four title.

The St Edward’s Martyrs masters crew of John Wiggins and Andy Knight won the E category double sculls, while Jojo Blyth and Harriet Wilson claimed victory for Hinksey Sculling School in the J16 doubles.