Local crews post victories

HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England - Crews from Harvard and Williams College cruised into the quarterfinals with wins yesterday at the Henley Royal Regatta.

The freshman crew from Harvard advanced with a 1 1/4-length victory against a composite crew from Balliol College and Exeter College from Oxford. Harvard had the better start and extended its lead throughout the race. In the Temple Challenge Cup for student eights, Williams beat Reading University from England by 2 3/4 lengths.

Advancing to the quarterfinals of the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup for student and club quadruple sculls was the Riverside Boat Club of Cambridge, Mass.

Riverside beat an English composite from the Marlow and Henley rowing clubs by 1 3/4 lengths. Riverside fell behind at the start and trailed until the half-mile mark, but then gradually moved ahead.

Americans Patrick O'Hea and Michael Sivigny lost their heats in the first round of the Diamond Challenge Sculls, one of the most prestigious events at the regatta.

O'Hea, competing for Oakland's California Rowing Club, lost by 1 length against former world junior champion Nathan Reilly-O'Donnell of the University of London. Sivigny, of the G.M.S. Rowing Center in New Milford, Conn., lost by 1 1/2 lengths against Ireland's Sean Jacobs of the Old Collegians club from Dublin.

In the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for schoolboy eights, Saint Joseph's Preparatory School from Philadelphia advanced to the quarterfinals by beating England's Hampton School easily. Salisbury (Conn.) School fell behind at the start and lost by 1 1/2 lengths against English opponent Abingdon School.