HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England — Five American crews won their races in the first round of the Temple Challenge Cup for student eights on Wednesday, the first day of the annual Henley Royal Regatta.

Williams College, from Williamstown, Mass., was the first U.S. crew in action and defeated Oxford Brookes University by 1½ lengths to move into the round of 16.

Grand Valley State, from Allendale, Mich., then easily beat England's University of Warwick by 3¾ lengths before Trinity College bested Southampton University, also of England, by 1¼ lengths.

Cornell followed up by beating Proteus Eretes from Holland by 1 1-3 lengths, and Stanford took an early lead against South Africa's University of Stellenbosch in the afternoon session to win by four lengths.

The prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for schoolboy eights also started Wednesday, and St. Joseph's Preparatory School from Philadelphia used a strong start against English opponent Cheltenham College to dominate the race to the finish. St. Joseph's next faces local favorite Hampton School in the round of 16.

The closest race of Wednesday's morning session came in the opening round of the Thames Challenge Cup for club eights, when the Newport Aquatic Center, from Newport Beach, Calif., lost by a canvas — or six feet — to England's Grosvenor Club.

Newport carved out a narrow early lead before Grosvenor drew level at the 1-mile mark and edged ahead as the two crews raced stroke for stroke to the finish.