Ripon Land Rover sponsors The William Riley, Whitby’s 100 year old historic lifeboat, on her Three Lake Challenge, Ullswater, Coniston Water and Windermere.

This took place over three days, Friday 29th July, Saturday 30th July and Sunday 31st July to raise money for The Great North Air Ambulance Service. The William Riley was accompanied by the support vessel The William and Lacey rowing skip.

A team of 15 rowers over £6,000 has been raised for The Great North Air Ambulance Service.

The William Riley was first brought into service on the 23rd of August 1909 and has been totally restored to her former glory and now has a seaworthiness certificate for up to 3 nautical miles offshore.

"William Riley of Leamington and Birmingham" was one of a batch of light, shallow draught lifeboats built by the Thames Iron Works at Canning Town in London.

The prototype for the class was built for Dungeness station in 1895 and gave its name to the class although they are frequently just referred to as ‘Rubie’s after their designer She was built in 1909.

Given hull number TL37 and official number 594, the lifeboat was built at a cost of £722.9.1d, provided by a legacy from William Riley of Leamington.

The Rubie 34 ft self righting lifeboat had an 8 ft beam, with 6 tubes used for relieving any water washed inboard. With a 5 inch wood and iron keel, two 16 ft bilge keels as well as two water ballast tanks she weighed 2 tons 6 cwt.

The rowing, or pulling, lifeboat was one of the R.N.L.I.’s lighter boats with no sails.

Her 10 oars could have two men each, with a coxswain, assistant coxswain and bowman completing her crew.