# ROWING: Queen’s bowed out of Henley Royal Regatta yesterday after a very good race in the Visitors’ Cup with Durham University. The Queen’s four started well, but the bigger Durham crew headed them and won by three lengths.

Henley Royal Regatta, Day Three (Irish interest)

Princess Royal (Single Sculls, Women, Open): S Puspure (Old Collegians) bt P Whittaker (Nottingham) easily, 10.31

The Double Sculls (Open): SH Whelpley and WS Cowles bt A Boreman (Belfast Boat Club) and C Beck (RBAI) easily, 8:45.

Visitors’ Cup (Fours, Intermediate): Durham University bt Queen’s University 3l, 8:03.

# ROWING: Queen’s University won their first round of the Visitors’ Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in impressive style. The Belfast crew had Nottingham B beaten within a few hundred metres of the start thanks to precise, powerful rowing. They will face surprise packets Durham University tomorrow. Durham beat selected (seeded) crew Oxford University and Isis with plenty to spare.

Henley Royal Regatta, Day Two (Irish interest)

Diamond Sculls (Single Sculls, Open): R Lopez (El Salvador) bt C Williamson (Queen’s University) easily, 9:00

Visitors’ Cup (Fours, Intermediate): Queen’s University bt Nottingham University B easily, 8:14. Durham University bt Oxford University and Isis BC 4 ¼ l, 7:55

Wyfold Cup (Fours, Club): Rob Roy bt Cork BC 4¼ l, 7:53

#ROWING: Monika Dukarska and Holly Nixon engaged in an entertaining battle in the women’s single sculls at Queen’s University Regatta at Castlewellan today, with Dukarska coming out on top in the closing stages. Helen Walshe, who won the first round of the eFlow Go Row League, was third, and Sinead Jennings fourth. Colin Williamson won the men’s equivalent. Queen’s won the Division One men’s eight. Galway Rowing Club finished second, beating Bann and Methodist College in the battle of the junior eights. Skibbereen won the women’s eight.

Queen’s University Regatta, Castlewellan – Selected Results

First Session

Men

Eight - Division Two – A Final: 1 Queen’s (novice) 5:37.23, 2 Neptune (jun) 5:40.85, 3 Methody (jun) 5:50.92. B Final: Neptune (jun 16) 5:59.44.

Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: Queen’s (sen) 5:43.38, 2 Bann (inter) 5:47.25, 3 Methody (jun) 5:51.66.

Pair – Division One – A Final: 1 Bann (J Cassells, C Black; jun) 5:59.41, 2 Portora (jun) 6:06.41, 3 Queen’s (sen) 6:08.41. B Final: Queen’s (sen) 6:32.56; 3 Commercial 6:44.56.

Sculling, Single – Division One – A Final: 1 Queen’s (C Williamson, sen) 6:12.03, 2 UCD (D Neale) 6:16.04, 3 Skibbereen (A Burns; jun) 6:17.79, 4 Neptune (Bailey, inter) 6:20.14. B Final: 1 Queen’s (McKibbin, sen) 6:26.59; 3 RBAI (Beck, lightweight) 6:30.32. C Final: Shandon (Casey; jun) 6:27.95.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Lee (Twomey-Thompson, jun) 7:20.75, 2 RBAI (McKillan; jun) 7:24.25, 3 Skibbereen (Keating; jun 16) 7:26.80. B Final: (O’Sullivan; jun 16) 6:26.59. C Final: Offaly (Gannon; nov) 7:32.09.

Women – Eight – Division One – A Final (aggregated result from two races): 1 Skibbereen (sen) 5:47.87, 2 Galway (jun) 5:56.36, 3 St Michael’s (jun) 5:58.87.

Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (inter), 2 Queen’s, 3 Belfast. Division Two, coxed – Final: 1 Queen’s (nov) 6:53.80, 2 Belfast BC (nov) 7:02.08, 3 Commercial (nov) 7:23.12.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division One A Final: 1 Three Castles (sen) 5:59.66, 2 Portora/Belfast/Fermoy/Skibbereen (sen) 6:06.91, 3 Shandon (jun) 6:18.40. B Final: Skibbereen (jun) 6:17.49. Division Two, coxed – A Final: 1 Galway (jun 16) 6:43.76, 2 Killorglin (jun 16) 6:48.17, 3 St Michael’s (jun 16) 7:01.14. B Final: Athlunkard (nov) 7:09.56.

Double – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (D Walsh, M Dineen; sen) 6:47.80, 2 Skibbereen (sen) 6:55.87, 3 Three Castles (sen) 6:56.24; 4 Neptune (jun) 7:11.52. B Final: 1 Carrick-on-Shannon (jun) 7:33.88, 2 Garda (inter) 7:39.54.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Muckross (jun 16) 7:18.96, 2 S Michael’s (jun 16) 7:27.63, 3 Commercial (jun 18) 7:35.06; 5 Queen’s (nov) 7:44.70. B Final: Lee (jun 18) 7:29.14.

(Second session; run on Time Trial Basis)

Men

Eight – Division One: 1 Queen’s (senior) 4:40.74, 2 Galway (junior) 4:45.74, 3 Bann (jun) 4:48.25; 4 Methodist College, Belfast (jun) 4:50.19, 5 Queen’s (intermediate) 5:08.80, 6 Queen’s B (inter) 5:12.65.

Fours – Division One: 1 Bann/Portora (sen) 5:04.80, 2 Queen’s 5:14.46, 3 Methody 5:38.27. Fours, coxed – Division Two: 1 Queen’s (nov) 5:38.95, 2 UCD (nov) 5:55.15, 3 UCD (nov) 6:00.05; 5 Methody (jun) 6:06.41; 6 Commercial (jun 16) 6:14.22.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division One: 1 Queen’s (sen) 5:07.78, 2 Skibbereen (jun) 5:16.68, 3 Bann (inter) 5:19.25. Division Two (coxed): 1 Neptune (jun 16) 5:44.06, 2 Galway (jun 16) 5:48.71, 3 Commercial (jun) 6:00.09; 5 Athlunkard 6:04.40. Double – Division One: 1 Queen’s (sen) 5:32.40, 2 Shandon (jun) 5:39.50, 3 Skibbereen (jun) 5:40.65; 5 Garda 5:41.46. Division Two 1 Lee (jun 16) 5:55.38, 2 Lee B (jun 18) 5:59.18, 3 Skibbereen (jun 16) 6:07.36; 6 Galway (nov) 6:15.90.

Women

Eight – Division Two: 1 Queen’s (nov) 5:59.63, 2 Athlunkard (nov) 6:21.24, 3 Shannon (nov) 6:29.83; 4 Methody (jun 16) 6:39.25; 6 Shannon 7:03.44.

Four – Division One: 1 Queen’s (sen) 5:58.49, 2 Skibbereen (sen) 6:06.54, 3 Bann/St Michael’s (sen) 6:12.98; 4 Muckross (jun) 6:14.03.

Sculling,

Single – Division One: 1 Killorglin (M Dukarska; sen) 6:24.17, 2 Portora (H Nixon; sen) 6:24.88, 3 Three Castles (H Walshe; sen) 6:36.41; 4 St Michael’s (Jennings; sen) 6:44.42, 5 Three Castles (B Quinn; lwt) 6:49.76, 6 Fermoy (H Shinnick; jun) 7:03.23; 11 Queen’s (Addley; inter) 7:20.54. Division Two: 1 Queen’s (Richards; nov) 7:55.56, 2 Methody (English; jun 16) 8:01.29, 3 St Michael’s (Sherin, jun) 8:06.93.

# ROWING: The eFlow Go Row League moves on to the beautiful setting of Castlewellan Lake in Co Down this Saturday for the Queen’s University regatta.

The battle to be the top women’s single sculler will be a highlight. Helen Walshe of the Three Castles club in Wicklow won the Division One title in the first round of the eFlow League in Skibbereen, but she must overcome some world-class talent if she is to continue her run. Holly Nixon, the silver medallist at last season’s World Junior Championships, and former senior world champion Sinead Jennings (sister of Olympic marathon hopeful Catriona) are both entered in a top-class field of 29 rowers.

The men’s Division One single sculls should be hugely competitive. Colin Williamson and Rory O’Connor of the host club, Queen’s, take on the country’s best junior athlete in Paul O’Donovan of Skibbereen, and outstanding UCD oarsman Dave Neale. Beijing Olympian Cathal Moynihan is also among the entry of 37 competing for the Division One title.

Queen’s will be hot tips to take the Division One men’s eights’ title on the day. They have three crews of the six entered, and their main rivals at Skibbereen regatta, Grainne Mhaol, have decided not to travel. The hosts also have a great chance in the women’s Division One eights, although Skibbereen will have their own hopes of topping off their long journey with a win. First-round victors UCD are take a break for this round.

One of the big advantages of the eFlow Go Row League format is that it pits ambitious juniors against proven seniors. In the Division One men’s pairs, Coleraine men Chris Black and Joel Cassells, whose target this year is a medal for Ireland at the World Junior Championships, will be out to win the Division One title at Castlewellan. Among their opponents is the St Michael’s crew of Kevin O’Connor and Sam Lynch. Lynch is a former double World Champion.

Skibbereen topped the rankings after the first round of the eFlow Go Row League. The next two rounds are hosted by Dublin Metropolitan regatta (May 26th) and Cork regatta (June 23rd).

#ROWING: Queen's University won the Division One eights with a fine win over Grainne Mhaol at the Skibbereen eFlow Go Row League regatta at the National Rowing Centre in Cork.

ROWING: Over 60 crews from all over Ireland will descend on Lough Erne tomorrow for the Erne Head of the River. This year competition looks set to be fierce. The biggest battle of the day should be between NUI Galway and Queen’s men’s senior eights. This will be the first time they have met this season, and both will be out to show their dominance.

From its humble beginnings in 1957, when just four crews took part, the Erne Head has gone from strength to strength, and the number of crews taking part has steadily increased. The organisers contend that at six kilometres tomorrow’s is the longest rowing event in Ireland, and the gruelling course provides athletes with the opportunity to test their both their fitness and their mental strength after winter training.

With a number of sharp bends to contend with, it is also the perfect stage for coxswains to show off their steering skills and their ability to get the best out of their crew when they start to tire. And of course, as crews battle to overtake each other, it provides plenty of excitement for those watching from the banks of the Erne.

The hosts of the event, Portora, will be approaching the event on the back of a double success at the Fermanagh Sports Awards where Derek Holland won Coach of the Year and the Boat Club at Portora Royal were joint winners of the Junior Team of the Year award.