Glorious sun shone over the sixth annual East Anglian Dragon Boat Festival today.

An estimated 5,000 people went to Nicholas Everitt Park in Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft, to watch teams compete on the water and soak up the summer atmosphere.

Twenty-four crews clambered into colourful boats and raced on the broad in a bid to be crowned champion - but it was Team Expro who took the title. The 12-man crew from the Great Yarmouth-based oil and gas production company Expro North Sea completed the course in 62.58 seconds.

British Sugar's team Crystal Tips sported Oompa Loompa costumes and were named best dressed as well as runners up. Morgan Oarsmen, from Morgan Sindall Plc, came third.

Friendly rivalry between the BBC Radio Norfolk and BBC Radio Suffolk teams got a chance to surface - but it was the Suffolk Seadogs who came 17th with Norfolk's crew coming 23rd.

'It was our first year taking part,' said BBC Radio Norfolk crew member Ian Forster.

'Last week we won the football big time, so it's only fair they get this one.'

The festival, organised by Gable Events, has raised thousands of pounds for East Anglian Children's Hospices (EACH), with the team sponsors alone totalling just over �6,000.

• See tomorrow' paper for more.