Shrewsbury's Dragon Boat Festival: Toucan Army pips reigning champs in photo-finish
[gallery] It was a photo finish for teams at a town's annual charity boat race as hundreds of amateur oarsmen and women battled it out on the River Severn.
Six of the 31 teams taking part in Shrewsbury's Dragon Boat Festival for Severn Hospice made it through to the final heat and crossed the line with just two seconds between them.
All six set the fastest times of the day, with winners Toucan Army coming in at one minute and five seconds.
Tony Nicholas, 46, from Ironbridge, rowed as a member of reigning champions Ashcocks, made up of staff and friends at Ashleys Cafe Wine Bar in Shrewsbury town centre and the Peacock Inn in Wenlock Road, Shrewsbury. He said: "Toucan Army pipped us by three-tenths of a second. I was absolutely gutted, but last year we won it by an even narrower margin."
A team representing Coverage Care residential services in Shrewsbury were third.
In 2014 Ashcocks took the crown from the Porthill Pirates. But there were no hard feelings – Mr Nicholas said the rowers had taken to the pubs of Shrewsbury together after the event in celebration.
A team representing Coverage Care residential services in Shrewsbury bagged third place.
