The City of Bristol club fears a shortage of coxes - team members who motivate and direct the rowers - may limit the number of crews it can enter in events. The appeal follows the club's best performance at the 'Head of the River Fours' race in London, where its female crews beat local rivals Minerva Bath and the University of the West of England. The annual event, hailed as the UK's biggest river race, gives clubs the opportunity to race against top internationals. But three out of five of the coxes who helped the 50-year-old club at the event had been brought out of retirement to compete in the races. "There is a race at the end of November which currently I have not got any coxes for," said men's captain Steve Bathurst. "If I don't find anyone willing to do it in the next week-and-a-half, we may have to look at abandoning the race. "So far we have been able to borrow people from various clubs and use other people who have given up rowing." The club would like to hear from anyone interested in becoming a cox. Volunteers do not have to be experienced, just be "small, with a loud commanding voice". "Most people who do it enjoy it," said Mr Bathurst. "It's just a case of getting people to have a go." Anyone who is interested in coxing for the City of Bristol Rowing Club should contact the group through its website www.bristolrowing.co.uk. | 
