York City Rowing Club's elite quadruple scull came close to setting a course record in the York Chambers Small Boats Head of The River Race.

More than 300 crews and scullers competed over the 3,000 metres course on the Ouse from Fulford to King's Staith.

The York quartet of Ed Beddingfield, George Scott, Rob Drever-Smith and Ian Hazel, who had done well in the Fours Head in London the previous week, clocked 10 minutes 42 seconds. That was more than two minutes faster than last year's winning time and only four seconds behind the fastest-ever time on the Ouse course.

Hazel and Drever-Smith also went on to win the novice double sculls.

Durham ARC won the British Sugar men's coxless fours for the second year running, just beating York City. However, the men's senior class one coxed four of Stuart Clarke, Dan Clark, Carl Abram and Mick Homa, coxed by Simon Woodfine, were the fastest of the day in winning their event.

Ros Cooke also won her event in Women's senior class two coxed fours with Jenny Irvine, Amanda Lockart and Karen Williams.

The Women's senior class one coxed fours were also won by a York crew containing Helen Snelson, Phillipa Press, Karen Williams and Kate Flemming. Both crews were coxed by Sean Stephens.

The Convergent Communication competition was won by a women's composite quadruple scull from Sheffield and Bedford in 12 minutes 25 seconds.

Ann Homa, of York City, sculled well to win both women's senior class one and veteran class B sculls. Sandy Franklin won the women's handicap sculls in a time of 15mins 10 secs.

The York City women's junior section had three wins in double sculls, with Jenny Addison and Freya Porteous in the junior under-16 event, Sarah Barker and Morven Porteous in the senior class four and Charlotte Richer and Caroline Jones in the junior under-18.

Richer and Jones beat the next nearest women's double scull by 22 seconds.

Richer took the novice single sculls and other single scull victories were recorded by Jones in the junior under-18 and senior class four.

Sarah Whitwell was disappointed to miss out on women's junior 15 single sculls by two seconds.

Jones recently attended the first long distance trials race for the 2002 Great Britain Women's Junior Team and came ninth out of more than 90 women's entries over the 5000m course.

She had been 20th in the equivalent assessment last year.

She will attend the next set of trials early next year and has also been invited to a junior coaching day for talented scullers in the North East.

University of York were pleased with wins in both men's and women's senior class four coxed fours at the York Chambers Small Boats Head.

St Peters School also did well in winning women's Junior under-16 quadruple sculls and coxed fours. The boys section won the under-18 coxed fours.

York City were the most successful club on the day with 14 wins followed by Durham ARC and Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham with eight each.

Updated: 12:43 Friday, November 23, 2001