Picture of the day: Henley's schoolboys earn their stripes

(Harry Engels/Getty Images)

The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, the biggest prize of the year in schoolboy rowing circles, was won by Abingdon School at the Henley Royal Regatta, beating a US team by almost two lengths in the final.

A day earlier, in the semi-final, the team set a record time for the race of 6 minutes 19 seconds. Yesterday's win was Abingdon's second in the event, which was inaugurated in 1946, but it has some way to go to eclipse Eton's 11 Princess Elizabeth titles.

The traditional length of the course for rowers at the Regatta is 1 mile 550 yards (2,112 metres). It was the longest distance of open water that was possible on the Henley Reach in 1839 when the event was first held.

Sir Chris Hoy, the triple Olympic gold medalist cyclist, presented the prizes yesterday.