York City Rowing Club host their final event of the year on Sunday when more than 350 crews and scullers will compete in the York Chambers Small Boats Head Rowing Race.

There will be three timed races between Fulford and Kings Staith, starting at 10.15am, 12.30pm and 2.45pm. Crews will be started on the Ouse at ten second intervals and be timed over the 3000 metre course.

The British Sugar men's fours will be hotly contested with the York City coxless four coming up against last year's coxless fours winners from Durham ARC. The host club also has a men's quadruple scull entered.

In addition to crew boats, York City have 21 single sculls entered, from Junior Under-15 to Veteran Over-50. Eyes will be on local scullers Paul Richardson, Ed Beddingfield, Jamie McLeod and Bill Downing who have all competed internationally in recent years.

York's entry of 37 boats is almost equalled by Durham ARC who have entered 33 boats.

In the Convergent Communication Women's competition, York City have entered three coxed fours a Junior coxless quadruple scull and a Junior U15 coxed Quad.

The Men's and Women's novice coxed fours are always fiercely contested and this year is no exception with 25 crews in the Women's event and 37 in the Men's. Tees RC have entered four Women's crews with three entries each from Salford University and Collingwood College.

In the men's section there are four crews entered from York, Northumbria and Salford Universities as well as St Peter's School. Many of these crews will contain competitors who have only started rowing in recent months and this will be their first experience of competitive rowing.

The event has drawn competitors from as far afield as Cambridge, Gloucester, Bewdley Lancaster and Northumberland. Locally, College of York St John have four novice boats entered, University of York ten and St Peters School 28.

This year's event seems set to have faster conditions than last year's, which took place at the end of the big flood, causing slow conditions rowing into the fast stream. It looks as if fast times will be recorded on Sunday if there is no strong headwind.

Hard work in the gym and on the water paid dividends for two YCRC crews when they competed in the London Fours Head of the River on the Thames.

Rowing over the 4 mile course from Mortlake to Putney the York Senior 2 coxless quad gave an impressive performance as did the Senior 1 coxless four.

The quad returned a time of 19mins 56 seconds to finish 87th from a start position of 348. The crew comprised Ian Hazel (bow), Rob Drever-Smith, George Scott and stroke Ed Beddingfield.

The coxless four of brothers Dan and Stuart Clarke with Mick Homa and Carl Abram powered their way from 368th to finish in 125th position in a time of 20min 16seconds.

With more than 500 crews from all over the country and some from abroad this was a good result for the York club.

Updated: 11:41 Friday, November 16, 2001