3rd May

Inverness Rowing Club's Alan Sinclair was a crew member of the GB Rowing Team men's eight which won the Windermere Cup in Seattle - only the third crew in the history of the event to beat the University of Washington men's crew dubbed "The Huskies".

They came home two seconds ahead to finish in 5:54.0 after a very tight race in which the 'Huskies' crew led GB for the first 1000 metres before GB drew ahead to win by one length in front of a wildly cheering crowd of approximately 30,0000 spectators.

Earlier the GB women had raced neck and neck with the University of Washington women's crew before losing out in the final 500m. Washington's winning time was 6:27.9 to GB's 6:31.3.

"They were two close races today and that's what we came here for", said Sir David Tanner, GB Rowing Team Performance Director.

He added: "All credit to the Washington crews they have given us a great early season competition. We've had a very warm welcome here and I'd like to thank Windermere Real Estate whose founder John Jacobi and his family, plus the Seattle Yacht Club, have made it possible for us to be here".

The GB Rowing Team competed today at the event for the first time since a GB women's crew took part back in 1998 and beat Washington.

Crews from the University of Washington have been taking part in a regatta every year since 1970 in Seattle to mark the opening day of boating at the Seattle Yacht Club.

The event was backed and developed originally by Jacobi and has developed into somewhat of a tradition in the Northwest of the USA.

Tens of thousands of "Seattleites" flock to the Montlake Cut each year to witness 800 rowers taking part in races which culminate in the Windermere Cup. This is followed by a parade of boats.

A squad of 22 British rowers flew out six days ago to the USA to take part in two eights that blended youth with experience.

Bob Ernst, Director of Rowing at the University of Washington - whose crews have won both the men's and women's races for the past seven years - said: "I wanted to invite Great Britain here as they 're the best program in the world".:D

MEN

(bow to stroke plus cox)
Ollie Cook, Phil Congdon, Alan Sinclair, Scott Durant, Matt Gotrel, Dan Ritchie, Mat Tarrant, Nathaniel Reilly O'Donnell, Henry Fieldman (cox).

WOMEN

(Bow to stroke plus cox)
Georgia Francis, Sam Courty, Laura Wheeler, Rebecca Chin, Ro Bradbury, Zoe Lee, Caragh McMurtry, Olivia Carnegie Brown, Zoe de Toledo (cox).