The GB composite eight led from start to finish in their race

The team, featuring the world champion men's four and the men's pair winners from the last race in Linz, finished in a time of five minutes 34.08 seconds.

China finished quickly over the last 500m to claim second, just 0.44sec behind the winners.

Great Britain's other eight battled well to hold off the challenge of Germany and finish third.

Interview: Four of the GB men's eight

It was the first time Britain had qualified two eights for a World Cup final and the two medals ensured they created a piece of history.

The men's four of Andy Hodge, Peter Reed, Alex Partridge and Steve Williams joined the pair of Colin Smith and Matt Langridge as well as Marcus Bateman and James Orme in the eight coxed by Phelan Hill.

"Our gold medal winners demonstrated that they are world class rowers," said GB Performance Director David Tanner.

Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase celebrate their silver medals

"But that was a huge step forward for our squad eight who were third. I'm particularly pleased with that result."

As well as the success for the eight, there were also four silver medals for Britain in the Olympic boat classes.

The women's quadruple sculls team of Annie Vernon, Debbie Flood, Kath Grainger and Frances Houghton finished second to China in a disappointing race.

There was also silver for the lightweight men's four of Richard Chambers, James Lindsay-Fynn, Paul Mattick and James Clarke.

Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter held off the challenge of Poland to win silver in the lightweight double sculls while Matt Wells and Steven Rowbottom finished second to Estonia in the double sculls.

Single sculler Alan Campbell could only finish sixth in a tough race featuring the Olympic and world champions.

The women's eight were fifth with the Dutch winning gold in front of an enthusiastic home crowd while the lightweight women's double scull of Helen Casey and Hester Goodsell were also fifth in their race with China taking gold and silver.