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#Rowing: UCD won only their second senior men's eights Championship of Ireland since 1973 at the National Rowing Centre today. They last won in 2011. They had a clearwater lead by half way and never let it go.

The senior women's eight saw NUIG/Castleconnell also win well. The stern pair of Sadhbh O'Connor and Fiona Murtagh were taking their fourth titles of the weekend.

The final session of the Irish Championships started with a UCD win in the men's novice eight and continued with Ruth Morris of Commercial moving well clear to win the women's intermediate sngle sculls.

Colaiste Iognaid won a battle with Commercial in the men's junior pair, while Lee's junior women matched their junior men by winning the quadruple.

The final race of the whole event, the men's intermediate double, was won by Skibbereen.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Cork clubs had a set of good results in the first session of Sunday finals at the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre.

Cork Boat Club's junior women's pair started the ball rolling, while Skibbereen then took their second title of Championships as Aodhan Burns proved a strong winner of the lightweight single sculls.

Margaret Cremen of UCC had a huge win in the lightweight single sculls, and Lee added the junior men's double to the junior quadruple title they had won on Saturday.

The tighest finish came in the men's club coxed four. NUIG made a tremendous effort to catch St Michael's of Limerick but they fell short by just .329 of a second.

Commercial of Dublin and Fermanagh's Enniskillen Royal Boat Club are having a good reatta. Enniskillen won the men's intermediate pair, while Commercial won the womens intermediate coxed four.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Seven different clubs won in the second session of finals on the second day of the Irish Championships. The races were run in hot sunshine.

Two women's finals senior finals were won in emphatic fashion. Georgia O'Brien of Kenmare won in the women's senior single sculls to give the club its second Championship. NUIG were also well in control in their victory in the women's senior pair.

Sadhbh Scully of Carlow, who is a junior, followed the trend in her big win in the women's club single sculls.

The women's junior 18 eights was a tighter affair, though Bann, once in the lead, held on strongly to rebuff Enniskillen.  

The men's junior quadruple was a big event, with Lee taking the title ahead of Three Castles and Neptune.

Cork clubs are having a good Championships, and UCC took the women's club eights.

Skibbereen figured strongly in some finals, but had their first Championship win when Kealan Mannix won the intermediate single sculls from Shane Haugh of Castleconnell.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Jack Dorney of Shandon and Margaret Cremen of Lee were the overall winners of the Cork Sculling Ladder. The presentations will take place this Thursday (January 31st) at Cork Boat Club. The Ladder is sponsored by Argos Fire.

Cork Sculling Ladder - Overall Winner :  (1) Jack Dorney  -  Shandon Boat Club.

 Women’s Overall Winner: (13) Margaret Cremen  -  Lee Rowing Club  (retained)

Section Winners

 

Men

 

Jack Dorney  -  Shandon Boat Club, Open, Intermediate, Club 1, Club 2, Junior 18 and Junior 16 

Jack Kiely  -  Lee Rowing Club, Novice

Peter Leonard  -  Cork Boat Club, Junior 15 and Junior 14

David Ross – Chu  -  Shandon Boat Club, Junior 13

Cian Dunlop  -  Lee Rowing Club, Junior 12

Donal Smith  -  Shandon Boat Club, Masters A & B

Henrik Merz  -  Shandon Boat Club, Masters C

John O’Neill  -  Shandon Boat Club, Masters D

Tony Corcoran  -  Lee Valley Rowing Club, Masters E, F, G & H

 

Women

 

Margaret Cremen  -  Lee Rowing Club, Open, Intermediate and Junior 18

Aoife Lynch  -  Lee Rowing Club, Club 1, Junior 16 and Junior 15

Claragh O’Sullivan  -  Cork Boat Club, Club 2

Maeve Coakley  -  Lee Rowing Club, Novice

Jennifer Forde  -  Shandon Boat Club, Junior 14

Isobel McElwain  -  Lee Rowing Club, Junior 13

Emer Hannon  -  Lee Rowing Club, Junior 12

Jessica Legresly  -  Shandon Boat Club, Masters A & B

Vivian Kelleher  -  Lee Rowing Club, Masters C

Liz Buckley  -  Lee Rowing Club, Masters D

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: UCC brought their title tally to three as they added the club coxed four to their club eights and intermediate single sculls pots at the Irish Rowing Championships today. The four was tested by four other crews coming to the line but broke free and won. The morning session on the Sunday was held in intermittent light rain.

Margaret Cremen won the women’s lightweight single sculls. The Lee woman looked dominant through much of the race, but as she approached the line she was hunted down by Orla Hayes of Skibbereen, who closed to just a few seconds on the line. Hayes’s clubmate, Aodhan Burns, left no doubts as to his intentions in the men’s lightweight single. He left the rest behind and won well.

The men’s intermediate pair gave Shandon a chance to demonstrate the depth of their talent pool. Stephen O’Sullivan and Colm Hennessy teamed up to win. The Castleconnell junior double of James Desmond and Rory O’Neill came under pressure from Lee in their win.

One of the closest races in the Championships so far came in the women’s intermediate four. Leaders Trinity were pipped on the line by Cork, whose winning margin was under a third of a second (.312).

Killorglin’s Anna Tyther and Rhiannon O’Donoghue gave Fermoy a test in the women’s junior pair. Gill McGirr and Eliza O’Reilly are an excellent crew, however, and held off their Kerry rivals.

Irish Rowing Championships, Day Three (Selected Results)

Men

Four – Club, coxed: UCC A 6:38.03.

Pair – Inter: Shandon A 6:56.07.

Sculling, Double – Junior: Castleconnell (R O’Neill, J Desmond) 6:49.97.

Lightweight Single: Skibbereen (A Burns) 7:20.56.

Women

Four – Inter, coxed: Cork 7:22.36.

Pair – Junior: Fermoy (E O’Reilly, G McGirr) 7:48.69.

Sculling, Lightweight Single: 1 Lee (M Cremen) 8:06.97.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Two strong senior composite crews took home the Division One quadruple titles as the action concluded late into the evening on the first day of Cork Regatta at the National Rowing Centre. The women’s final saw Margaret Cremen join Skibbereen’s Lydia Heaphy, Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey to good effect, and the men’s winners were the prospective Ireland Under-23 lightweight quad. Workmen’s and Shandon junior 18 crews were good runners up in the women’s and men’s races.

Cork Boat Club won the Division One men’s coxed four title, while Trinity took the women’s.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Div Two: Neptune (club two) 6:22.95; 4 Trinity (nov) 6:34.32; 5 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 6:35.63; 6 Shandon (jun 18B) 6:43.79.

Four – Div One, coxed: Cork (inter) 6:34.299; 3 Enniskillen A (jun 18A) 6:39.299. C Final: 2 Neptune (club one) 6:48.37.

Pair – Div One: 1 UCD (S Mulvaney, D O’Malley; sen) 6:53.31, 2 Skibbereen (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll; sen) 6:59.98, 3 Enniskillen (jun 18A) 7:06.75; 6 Cork A (inter) 7:23.68. B Final: 6 Neptune A (club one) 7:24.50.

Sculling, Quadruple – Div One: 1 Tara, UCD, Commercial, UCC (sen) 6:00.93, 2 Shandon (jun 18) 6:10.96

Double – Div Two: CRCC (jun 18B) 7:06.99; 5 Cork A (jun 16) 7:15.37. B Final: Cappoquin (club two) 7:20.43

Single Sculls: 1 Skibbereen (P O’Donovan; sen) 6:59.73. B Final: UCC (H Sutton; lwt) 7:20.63. C Final: 1 Shandon (E Gaffney; jun 18A) 7:28.92; 2 Queen’s (N Hull; inter) 7:29.86

Women

Eight- Div Two: Trinity A (club two) 6:52.696; 6 Commercial (jun 16) 7:15.45. B Final: 1 Queen’s (nov) 7:19.09.

Four, coxed – Div One: 1 Trinity (inter) 7:25.63, 2 Commercial (sen) 7:30.06; 5 Shandon (club one) 7:46.78.

Pair – Div One: 1 Skibbereen (A McCarthy, N Casey; sen) 7:49.73; 4 Col Iognaid (Jun 18A) 8:07.86; Shandon (club one) 8:08.78. C Final: 4 Shandon (inter) 8:36.00.

Sculling, Quadruple – Div One: 1 Skibbereen/Lee 6:50.49; 2 Workmen’s (jun 18A) 7:05.596. Div Two: 1 Cork A (club two) 7:50.05; 3 Carlow (jun 16) 8:03.97. B Final: Carlow (jun 18B) 8:13.43; 4 Queen’s (nov) 8:25.47.

Double – Div Two: 1 Killorglin (jun 18B) 7:41.63, 2 New Ross (club two) 7:56.41, 3 Carlow (jun 16) 8:00.41

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Jack Dorney of Shandon Boat Club was the fastest at the Cork Sculling Ladder time trial at the Marina. More than 170 single scullers participated on Sunday in the 46th running of the event, which is sponsored by Argos Fire and Safety Ltd and BioAugmentation Systems Ltd. Dorney won in a time of seven minutes and 7.2 seconds. Three other Shandon scullers filled the next three spots: Alex Byrne, Stephen O’Sullivan and Eoin Gaffney.

 Margaret Cremen, who won last last year, was again the fastest woman – the Lee Rowing Club competitor finished 10th overall; Cork Boat Club’s Lisa Dilleen was the next fastest woman. Conditions on the river were calm.   

 The 2017-2018 Cork Sculling Ladder continues until April 1st.  

Cork Sculling Ladder, Time Trial, October 8th. Selected Results:

  1. Jack Dorney, Shandon Boat Club. 7 min 07.2 sec
  2. Alex Byrne, Shandon Boat Club. 7:15.8
  3. Stephen O’Sullivan, Shandon Boat Club. 7:17.7
  4.  Eoin Gaffney, Shandon Boat Club. 7:18.5
  5. Cian O’Sullivan, Cork Boat Club. 7:25.1

10. Margaret Cremen, Lee Rowing Club. 7:37.9

23. Lisa Dilleen, Cork Boat Club. 8:06.3 (8:07.6)

31. Aoife Lynch, Lee Rowing Club. 8:19.6

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Ireland have qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s double sculls at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Trakai, Lithuania. Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen finished third in their quarter-final. Canada, who led from the early stages, won well. Ireland had tracked them, holding second from before halfway until the final stages when the Netherlands got ahead of them.  

World Rowing Junior Championships, Trakai, Lithuania, Day Three (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Quarter-Final Three (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C/D Semi-Finals): 1 Canada 7:23.78, 2 Netherlands 7:29.52, 3 Ireland (A Casey, M Cremen) 7:30.27; 4 Austria 7:33.56, 5 New Zealand 7:36.51, 6 Estonia 7:52.65.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Skibbereen added four titles to their already weighty tally on the first day of the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre today. Paul O’Donovan won the senior single sculls and teamed up with Mark O’Donovan, Shane O’Driscoll and his brother Gary in the senior four – both were done in new record times for the course. Paul and Gary also won the senior doubles. The Skibbereen women’s four also won well, in a new best time for the course.

NUIG also took four titles: the men’s intermediate coxed four and club eight and the women’s club coxed four and novice coxed quadruple.

Cork Boat Club proved best in the women’s intermediate eight and also won perhaps the best race of the day: Barry O’Flynn was severely tested by Jack Dorney in the junior single sculls but fought back after being passed and won by a length.

The Old Collegians victory in the women’s senior double was straightforward: Sanita Puspure and Claire Lambe were by far the best crew.

This was the last final of the day, while UCC had won the first, taking the men’s novice coxed quadruple.

Neptune and St Joseph’s tried to rein them in, but the men’s junior eights final was a surprsingly straightforward affair for winners Enniskillen, who also won the women’s junior four. Lee’s Margaret Cremen and Aoife Lynch were also in control in the women’s junior double, as were Hannah Scott and Katie Shirlow in the intermediate pair.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Day One (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Club: NUIG 5:53.60. Junior: Enniskillen 5:47.96.

Four – Senior: Skibbereen 5:55.33. Inter, coxed: NUIG 6:13.38.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: UCC 6:39.37.

Double – Senior: Skibbereen 7:06.89.

Single – Senior: Skibbereen (P O’Donovan) 6:48.19. Junior: Cork (B O’Flynn) 7:04.06.

Women

Eight – Intermediate: Cork 6:22.06.

Four – Senior: Skibbereen 6:40.58. Club, coxed: NUIG 7:10.92. Junior: Enniskillen 6:57.94.

Pair – Inter: Bann 7:19.32.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: NUIG 7:36.02. Double – Senior: Old Collegians 6:59.997. Junior: Lee 7:09.86.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Barry O’Flynn of Cork Boat Club came from behind to win the junior single sculls title at the Irish Rowing Championships in Cork today. Jack Dorney of Shandon tested the favourite in an exciting race – and went ahead. O’Flynn came back and won by a length.

Two of the top junior women were involved in impressive wins. Hannah Scott teamed up with Katie Shirlow to win the intermediate pairs for Bann, while Margaret Cremen and Aoife Lynch won the junior doubles.

NUIG won two sucessive finals, the women’s club coxed four and the men’s intermediate coxed four, while UCC had started the first session of finals at the Championships with a win in the novice coxed quadruple.

Skibbereen called on the class of their international brigade to also win twice: Paul and Gary O’Donovan were untested in their senior doubles win, while Denise Walsh stroked the women’s senior four to a fine win over UCD.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Day One (Selected Results)

Men

Four – Inter, coxed: NUIG 6:13.38.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: UCC 6:39.37.

Double – Senior: Skibbereen 7:06.89.

Single – Junior: Cork (B O’Flynn) 7:04.06.

Women

Four – Senior: Skibbereen 6:40.58. Club, coxed: NUIG 7:10.92.

Pair – Inter: Bann 7:19.32.

Sculling, Double – Junior: Lee 7:09.86.

Published in Rowing
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About The Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a 'must do' race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.

The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.

In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.

George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7

The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.

So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC's longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.

Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race "must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?"

In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard's brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America's Cup with Moro di Venezia.

Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP's of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.

The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.

World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.

The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany's Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.

THE COURSE RECORD

The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.

However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2024

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 19 October 2024.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST Saturday, 21 October 2024

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth

Main Trophies

Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy – overall race winner under IRC Time Correction

Boccale de Mediterraneo – winner of ORC category

RLR Trophy – winner of monohull line honours

Captain Morgan Trophy – winner of multihull division on corrected time (MOCRA)

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