Irish crews were involved in six races this morning at Henley Royal Regatta and won all six. Both Queen's A and B crews had convincing victories in the Temple Cup for student eights, while Carlow and Galway won their heats of the Thames Cup for club eights by three lengths and one and three-quarter lengths respectively. UCD took on and beat Oxford Brookes B in the Prince Albert for student coxed fours and Cork were also convincing winners against Grosvenor in the Britannia for coxed club fours.

In one of the last races before lunch, Muckross, who were seeded in the Wyfold, beat Putney Town by a big margin.

The pattern continued in the afternoon, with St Michael's and Commercial commanding winners in the Thames Cup and Wyfold Cup. Galway Rowing Club fought hard in the final Irish race of the day in the Wyfold Cup, but fell to Nottingham and Union.

Henley Royal Regatta, Day One (Irish interest)

Thames Cup (Eights, club): Galway RC bt Maidstone Invicta RC 1¾ l, 6 min 46 secs; Carlow RC bt Vesta RC 3l, 7:07;

St Michael’s bt Combined Services RC easily, 7:12

 Britannia (Fours, coxed; club): Cork BC bt Grosvenor RC 2½ l, 7:33

 Wyfold Cup (Fours; club): Muckross RC bt Putney Town RC 4½ l, 7:30; Commercial bt Quintin BC 2l, 7:33; Nottingham and Union BC bt Galway RC 1 ¾ l, 7:19

 Temple Cup (Eights; student): Queen’s University, Belfast A bt University of Bristol 4¾ l, 6:38; Queen’s University B bt University of Cape Town 3l, 6:45

 Prince Albert (Fours, coxed; student): University College, Dublin bt Oxford Brookes University B 2¾ l, 7:20

The Henley enclosure. Photo: oepkes.com

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Bann won the shoot-out among the top junior 18 eights at Athlone Regatta. The Derry club finished ahead St Joseph's of Galway, Portora and Presentation in the final race of the day. Neptune intermediates, who raced alongside the junior crews, also had to give way to Bann, finishing half a length down. Commercial's women senior eight were the best of the day, but had only half a length to spare over Portora, with a composite crew a close-up third. 

 Athlone Regatta, Coosan Point

Men, Eight – Novice: 1 UCD A, 2 UCD B, 3 Trinity. Junior 18/Intermediate: 1 Bann junior 18, 2 Neptune intermediate, 3 St Joseph’s junior, 4 Portora junior, 5 Presentation junior; ½ l, 1l, 2ft, 2l. Junior 16: 1 St Joseph’s, 2 Methodist College, Belfast. Masters: 1 Commercial, 2 City of Derry.

Four, coxed – Intermediate: 1 Neptune, 2 Clonmel. Novice: 1 Shannon, 2 Fossa, 3 Trinity. Junior: 1 Bann, 2 Portora.

Pair – Senior: 1 Cappoquin, 2 Neptune, 3l. Intermediate: 1 Cappoquin, 2 Clonmel. Junior 18: 1 Lee, 2 Neptune.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice: 1 Carrick-on-Shannon, 2 Offaly. Junior 16: 1 Commercial, 2 Lee.

Double – Intermediate: 1 Castleconnell, 2 Lee. Junior 18: 1 Neptune, 2 Offaly. Junior 16: 1 Lee, 2 Neptune.

Single – Senior: 1 Neptune (King), 2 Garda (Duane), 1 ft. Intermediate: 1 Neptune (Bailey), 2 Clonmel (Pidgeon). Novice 1 Offaly (O’Connor), 2 Neptune (Janssens). Junior 18: 1 Athlone (Egan), 2 Cork (O’Brien) 2 ft. Junior 16: 1 Lee (Synott), 2 Lee (Collins).

Women

Eight – Senior: 1 Commercial, 2 Portora, 3 Commercial, Cork, Killorglin, Portora (composite); ½ l, ¼ l. Novice: 1 UCD, 2 Trinity, 3 Neptune. Junior 18: 1 Portora, 2 St Michael’s.

Four – Senior: 1 Commercial, 2 Cork. Novice, coxed: 1 Trinity, 2 UCD. Junior 18: 1 Commercial, 2 Cork.

Sculling

Quadruple – Novice, coxed: 1 Neptune, 2 Clonmel. Junior 18: 1 Bann, 2 Neptune.  Junior 16: 1 Bann, 2 Carlow.

Double – Intermediate: 1 Killorglin, 2 City of Derry. Junior 18: 1 Bann, 2 Waterford.

Single – Senior: 1 Killorglin (M Dukarska), 2 Cork (M O’Neill). Novice: 1 Shandon (Corcoran-O’Hare), Bantry (Piggott). Junior 18: 1 Waterford (McGrath), 2 Bann (Shirlow). Junior 16: 1 Killorglin (Crowley), 2 Lee (Hamill).

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An Irish women's quadruple scull has made it through the qualifiers for Henley Royal Regatta. Rachel Beringer, Amy Duncan, Laura D’Urso and Dympna Kelly will compete in the Princess Grace Challenge Cup at the regatta proper. Imperial College London and Sport Imperial Boat Club were the only other  qualifier in this event. 

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Skibbereen Rowing Club have maintained their dominance at the top of the Rowing Ireland Grand League following the Metro regatta, the fourth in the six series league. They have now increased their lead over nearest rivals, Dublin club, Neptune by 128 points.

The leading clubs after the fourth regatta are: Skibbereen 573, Neptune 445, St. Michael’s 373, Commercial 358, UCD 262

Skibbereen’s lead is now significant and it will be difficult for Neptune to topple them at this stage.  However St..Michael’s, Commercial and UCD will still be fighting it out for the coveted third spot.

St Michaels, Limerick lead the men's senior category on 195 points, with Neptune overtaking Commercial on 142 and UCD remaining in third on 121 points.  UCD maintain their lead 141 points in the women’s senior category despite their absence at Metro with Dublin University overtaking NUIG for a second placing with the Galway club third on 101.75 points.

Skibbereen RC remain top of the junior men category on 216 with Neptune overtaking St. Joseph’s, Galway (The Bish)  in second on 120 with Lee Rowing Club in third on 101.

Skibbereen and St. Michael’s topping the junior women on 125 and 80 points respectively.

The Grand League takes a break now until August to make way for the Irish Rowing Championships which take place on Saturday 16^th July.  The league will resume with the Limerick and Monkstown regattas in August.

For full tables go to results at http://iaru.ie/main.php

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Transatlantic rower Sean McGowan will join two of Inishowen's best known charity workers - whose ages total 153 years - in a sponsored 25-mile row this weekend in aid of Self Help Africa.

Albert Doherty (68) and Willie Harrigan (85) will be joined by rowers from clubs in Glenarm in Co. Antrim and Arklow. Also taking part will be Sean McGowan who last year rowed solo across the Atlantic in 188 days. 

The row from Prehen Boat Club in Derry to Moville will take place on Saturday 26th June with the "winner" the person with the most money raised on their sponsorship card, receiving a trophy in memory of the late Betty Nicell from Derry.

This will be the fifth time Albert and Willie will row the Foyle in aid of Self Help Africa and this year will see them undertake the trip in a boat personally restored by Albert.

To date Albert's fundraising has totalled approximately €28,000 - an achievement recognised last year by President Mary McAleese.

Anyone wishing to take part or make donations can do so by contacting Albert on 074 93 83360.

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10-year-old Rory Keogh is a cox at the Henley Women's Regatta The youngest ever competitor will be taking part at Henley Women's Regatta.
Rory Keogh, 10, from Dublin will steer a boat worth £13,000, leading four athletes down a 1500 metre course in the event. He is coxing the senior four of Áine Feeney, Jane Shackleton, Laura Byrne and Naomi Fearon.

In his native Ireland Rory is under the minimum weight to take part in races but the rules differ in the UK. The regatta chairman Diane Graham explains how he is able to compete: "At just under 30 kg, we're having to bring extra dead weights to the events as he'll have to take around two thirds again of his weight into the boat to make it up to the minimum!"

"I'm happy to be there and I'm very excited about it," Rory told BBC Oxford. When asked to explain his job he said: "You have to steer straight as long as possible. "You only steer if you absolutely have to because if they put on the tiller then it's harder. It's like a running race when you're coming round the corner. "And you have to encourage them loads."

Rory got involved in rowing in September 2009 and hopes to row in the Olympics when he is older. He says his current success is getting him a lot of attention at school. "They're all asking me questions like 'Are you getting paid for Henley?'" His father Dermot is the current captain of Commercial Rowing Club, Dublin.

"It's very unusual for them to start so early but he took to it like a duck to water," he told BBC Oxford.
"When he says something in a boat he gets a response. He turns heads all the time because he just has a command when he says something.
"I think he'll have to go into politics!"

The regatta will host over 1500 competitors and 40 overseas crews from the US, Australia and Europe.

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Olympians Paul Griffin and Seán Casey helped power Muckross to a fine win over NUIG in the Men’s Senior Eight race at the Metro regatta in Blessingtion over the weekend.  The result was a reversal of last month’s Cork regatta where NUIG beat Muckross.

NUIG did win the Men’s Fours beating Commercial by a fraction of a second with Galway taking third place.  

The Men’s pairs race was an all-St. Michael’s contest which threw up the big surprise of the day.  In a contest between older and young brothers, the younger St. Michael’s B crew of Declan O’Connor and Hughie Lynch beating their older brothers, the St. Michael’s A crew of  Kevin O’Connor and former World Champion and Olympian Sam Lynch.  Commercial took the third spot.

Skibbereen took the Men’s quads and double sculls convincingly and while Skibbereen made up four of the rowers in the single scull, it was John Keohane who took the honours for Lee Valley Rowing Club.

In the Men’s Division Two, UCD won the Eights,  Fossa, Killarney won  the Fours and Carrick-on-Shannon won the single sculls.

In the Women’s Division One single sculls,  Dympna Kelly, Carrick on Shannon  beat Sheila Clavin of St. Michael’s, Limerick.  Both rowers have crewed at international level in the double sculls. Neptune have been dominant all season in the pairs and took the honours again at Metro.  Skibbereen won the quad and Commercial won the fours. 

The men’s and women’s singles and pairs races were a selection trial for the upcoming Home Internationals, the annual competition between Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Grand League Metro Regatta, Blessington - Results

Men’s Senior

8+        Muckross

4+        NUIG

2-         St. Michael’s B

4x         Skibbereen

2x         Skibbereen

1x         John Keohane, Lee Valley RC

4x         Skibbereen

4 -        Commercial

2 -        Neptune

1x         Dympna Kelly, Carrick on Shannon

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Photographs by Bob Bateman of yesterday's Ocean to City rowing race in Cork Harbour are up-loaded on the Afloat gallery here.

Muckross took the lead early and had an impressive win over NUIG in Division One of the eights competition at Metropolitan Regatta at sunny  Blessington. The event suffered a series of hitches and finished two hours late. Some clubs were unable to wait and missed key races. Commercial were awarded the senior men’s four (The Blue Riband)  title but race organisers later contended that the official result was a win for NUIG.

Metropolitan Regatta (1700 metres)

Men

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 Muckross (senior; M Coffey, P Griffin, S Prendiville, S O’Halloran, S Casey, P Kennedy, S Mac Eoin, J Mangan; cox: E Champ) 5:15.83, 2 NUIG (snr) 5:21.62, 3 University of Limerick (intermediate) 5:22.47, 4 St Michael’s (snr) 5:24.26, 5 Neptune (inter) 5:27.03, 6 Trinity (inter) 5:32.79.

Masters: 1 Old Collegians, 2 Belfast RC/Belfast BC.

Division Two – A Final: 1 UCD A (nov) 5:45.55, 2 Queen’s (nov) 5:56.84, 3 UCD (nov) 5:57.92, 4 Commercial (jun) 6:00.69.

Four – Division One – A Final (Blue Riband): 1 NUIG (snr; D Mannion, A Martin, E Donnelly, James Wall) 5:38.16, 2 Commercial (snr) 5:38.55, 3 Galway (snr) 5:47.84, 4 Trinity (u-23) 6:09.65.

Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: 1 UCD  (snr) 5:51.79, 2 Trinity (inter) 6:01.44, 3 Bann (jnr) 6:02.88. B Final: Bann B (jnr) 6:08.73. Masters: 1 Commercial, 2 City of Derry. Division Two – A Final: 1 Fossa (nov) 6:14.04, 2 Shannon (nov) 6:17.52, 3 Queen’s (nov) 6:21.21. B Final: 1 Trinity 6:30.52; 3 Commercial (jnr) 6:35.41; 5 Commercial (jun 16) 7:01.61. Division Two – A Final: 1 Fossa (nov) 6:14.07, 2 Shannon (nov) 6:15.00, 3 Garda (nov) 6:15.86. B Final: Commercial (jun 16) 6:24.07; 3 Commercial (jnr) 6:41.81.

Pair, Senior – Division One – A Final: 1 St Michael’s (senior; H Lynch, D O’Connor) 6:12.57, 2 St Michael’s (snr; S Lynch, K O’Connor) 6:14.38, 3 UCD/Commercial (snr) 6:14.74; 5 St Michael’s (under-23) 6:28.74. B Final: 1 Galway (snr) 6:22.79. C Final: University of Limerick (u-23) 6:34.04. D Final: 1 Athlone (junior) 6:48.68; 4 Neptune (inter) 7:14.86.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (snr) 5:42.78, 2 Skibbereen (jnr) 5:46.50, 3 Neptune (jnr) 5:58.00.

Junior 15: 1 Cork, 2 Skibbereen. Division Two – A Final, coxed: 1 Carlow (jnr) 6:18.26, 2 Carrick-on-Shannon (nov) 6:25.35, 3 Offaly (nov) 6:27.27; 5 Carlow (jun 16) 6:36.25.

Double – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jun) 6:12.80, 2 Skibbereen (u-23) 6:24.03, 3 Lee (u-23) 6:30.85. B Final: Castleconnell (jnr) 6:35.78; 4 St Michael’s (inter) 6:44.86. C Final: Neptune (jnr) 6:40.84.  Division Two – A Final: 1 Lee (jnr 16) 6:37.02, 2 St Michael’s (jun) 6:49.63.

Single - Division One – A Final: 1 Lee Valley (snr; J Keohane) 6:37.92, 2 Skibbereen (snr; Coakley) 6:41.21, 3 Skibbereen (jun; O’Donovan) 6:42.84; 5 Skibbereen (u-23; Murphy) 6:48.01. B Final: St Michael’s (ltwt; O’Shea) 6:47.07; 5 Neptune (inter; Bailey) 7:02.72. C Final: Lady Elizabeth (snr; Lewis) 7:00.63. D Final: Neptune (ltwt; O’Carroll) 7:09.42. E Final: Castleconnell (inter; Corbett) 7:23.06.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Carrick-on-Shannon (jun 16; Aherne) 7:23.11, 2 Castleconnell (jun 16; O’Connor) 7:28.64, 3 Lee (jun 16; Synott) 7:29.58; 4 Skibbereen A (novice; Barry) 7:31.19. B Final: 1 Lee (jun 16; Looney) 7:33.18; 5 St Michael’s (jun 18B; Glynn) 7:38.18. C Final: Cork (jun 16; Coughlan) 7:39.85. D Final: Shannon (jun 16; Radic) 7:50.28.

Junior 15: Final One: 1 Cork (McCarthy), 2 Graiguenamagh (Murphy), 3 Cork (Hegarty). Final Two: Cork A (Mitchell). Final Three: Offaly (Grogan). Final Four: Skibbereen (Ryan).

Masters: 1 Clonmel (Kinsella), 2 Carrick-on-Shannon (Butler), 3 City of Derry (D’Urso).

Women

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (snr; A Feeney, R Morris, C Cooney, J Shackleton, S Geoghegan, J Blake, L Byrne, N Fearon; cox: R Keogh) 6:19.16, 2 Trinity (snr) 6:25.46, 3 Trinity (nov) 6:52.84.

Four – Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (jnr) 6:48.83, 2 Cork (jnr) 6:55.93, 3 Shannon (jnr) 6:58.35.

Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (inter) 7:08.68, 2 Cork BC (inter) 7:18.06, 3 University of Limerick (inter) 7:20.75. Division Two – A Final, coxed: 1 St Michael’s (jun 16) 7:02.97, 2 Trinity A (nov) 7:07.79, 3 Carrick-on- Shannon (nov) 7:23.15. B Final, coxed: 1 Trinity B (nov) 7:58.67.

Pair – Division One – A Final: 1 Neptune (snr) 7:10.27, 2 Commercial B (snr) 7:17.60, 3 Commercial A (snr) 7:19.79, 4 St Michael’s (jnr) 7:26.23. B Final: Trinity (under-23) 7:37.58.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (jnr) 6:35.69, 2 Bann (junior) 6:51.08.  Division Two – A Final: 1 Neptune (nov) 7:25.06, 2 Commercial (jnr) 9:39.03.

Double – Division One – A Final: 1 Offaly (snr; J Moran, E Moran) 7:02.28, 2 Skibbereen (jun) 7:04.18, 3 Skibbereen (u-23) 7:25.60.  Division Two – A Final: 1 Killorglin (jun 16) 7:21.96, 2 Garda (nov) 7:29.86, 3 Athlunkard (jun) 7:39.68. B Final: Shandon B (jun 16) 7:55.08.

Single – Division One – A Final: 1 Carrick-on-Shannon (ltwt; D Kelly) 7:25.54, 2 St Michael’s (ltwt; Clavin) 7:30.12, 3 Offaly (snr; Moran) 7:32.90; 4 Skibbereen (jnr; Walsh) 7:37.21. B Final: Commercial (ltwt; Quinn) 7:36.87. C Final: City of Derry (ltwt; Hughes) 7:54.97. Division Two – A Final: 1 Bantry (nov; Piggott) 8:01.16, 2 Killorglin (jnr 16; Crowley) 8:08.90, 3 Neptune (jnr 16; O’Brien) 8:17.50. B Final: Neptune (jnr 16; De Say) 8:18.76, 2 Athlunkard (jnr; Willis) 8:24.84. C Final: St Michael’s (jun 16; Phillips) 8:29.44.

Junior 15: 1 St Michael’s (McCarthy), 2 Killorglin (O’Sullivan), 3 Graiguenamanagh (Ryan).

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With little over a month to go to the Irish Rowing Championships, the Metropolitan Regatta, which takes place in Blessington on Saturday 12 June, should provide clear indications on the form crews for championship honours come July.

The Metro regatta, with 350 crews and over 900 athletes competing in over one hundred races, is the fourth Grand League Regatta of the season.  To date over a thousand crews have competed in the first three regattas hosted by Skibbereen, Queens and Cork City regattas.

Neptune (Dublin) on home waters have an opportunity to close the gap on Skibbereen for overall points totals.  Skibbereen are currently on 372 points with Neptune on 306, just 66 points behind.  In the Senior Men’s category St Michael’s from Limerick are leading by 31 points from Commercial, Dublin and will be travelling in force to Leinster. 

In the Men’s Senior Eights, two clubs from Connaught and two from Munster compete for the big boat trophy.   NUI Galway, Galway Rowing club, and St Michael’s and Muckross will also compete for the blue riband event of the Regatta, the Men’s Fours, against two Dublin clubs, Neptune and Commercial. 

The leading Grand League clubs going into the Metro regatta are Skibbereen 372, Neptune 306, St. Michael’s, Limerick 252, Commercial, 232, UCD 222.

St Michaels, Limerick still lead the men's senior category on 133 points, with Commercial on 102  points with Neptune overtaking UCD for 89 points.  UCD maintain their lead with 141 points in the women’s senior category ahead of NUI Galway on 101.75 points.
Selection for both men and women for the Home Internationals and the Commonwealth Games will occur in the Division 1 singles sculls and sweep pairs races where up to 70 and 30 crews respectively will be competing for honours.

Note:  The Blue Riband is scheduled for 12.30 pm and the Senior Eights for 6.00pm. There will be races throughout the day at five minute intervals.

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