York Rowing Club pulls together

Members of York City Rowing Club began mopping up last night after heroic action beat the worst of the floods.

Swift action enabled them to save all their boats as the boathouse, beside Len-dal Bridge on West Esplanade, was in four feet of floodwater.

Boats officer David Wilde said that the quick-thinking of a handful of members, led by club captain Steve Noble, saved the club from disaster as over 30 boats were moved to safety.

"The boats are on racks and the water pressure would have crushed them," said Wilde.

Club chairman Caroline Sherlock said that the group were knee deep in water rescuing the boats.

Some were moved to different locations - including one member's farm - while the majority were moved up into the first floor gymnasium.

After being flooded out for ten days, the main damage has been to the electrics, but the club are appealing for as many members as possible to help with the mopping up operation by going to the boathouse after 5pm this week.

Once the boathouse is back in ship-shape order then training will be able to re-sume.

The men's senior eight have been training on the Aire and Calder canal during the crisis.

The York Small Boats Head event, which is raced from Fulford to the city centre has been re-arranged for November 26 after being postponed on two previous oc-casions because of flooding.

The club's annual dinner is to be held at the Merchant Adventurers Hall on De-cember 2 when the guest speaker will be an former Great Britain oarsman Hugh Mattheson.