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CONGRATULATIONS York City Rowing Club WINNERS BRITANNIA CHALLENGE CUP 2007 (Scroll down and enjoy the report and photographs)
9 July 2007 A crew from York City Rowing Club won the Britannia Cup, the event for coxed fours, at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta on Sunday. This is the first time in its 150-year history that the club has achieved a win at this premier regatta. The crew of Will Todd, Andy Wilkinson, Tom Ransley, Dave Heffernan, coxed by Helena Smalman-Smith, beat Henley Rowing Club, rowing on their home water, in an exciting duel in the final of the five-day event. The York crew led all the way from the start, and at one point were 3 lengths up on their opponents. As the finish approached the Henley crew came storming back but the York held them off to register a win by a length. Three oarsmen from this crew and the cox reached the final of the same event at Henley last year, losing on that occasion to by a crew from the Army Rowing Club. So it was very satisfying for the York crew to again reach the final, but this time to be victorious. It is a measure of their success that they are the only UK crew to win a senior event at Henley this year that is not based on the river Thames. Two members of this crew have previously achieved considerable success at national level. Tom Ransley, a student at the University of York, represented GB at Under-23 level at Essen International Regatta in May, and also rowed for GB at FISU, the World University Rowing Championships, last year in the coxless four; Dave Heffernan is the current National Champion in lightweight single sculls, and represented Ireland in the Home Countries International last year where he won the gold medal. In December he was seriously injured in a car crash, breaking his foot and collarbone. He has worked hard to recover his fitness to row with his teammates for this famous victory at Henley. Sadly, the crew will now disband. Tom Ransley and Will Todd have completed their studies at the University and will be moving. Helena Smalman-Smith and her husband, Richard, are moving back to London. Richard, a teacher, has been coaching rowing at St Peters and is moving to a job at Kingston Grammar School.
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