Displaying items by tag: European Rowing Championships

27th May 2017

O'Donovans Back on Track And Into European Final

#Rowing: Ireland’s Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan took an excellent second place behind Olympic champions France to secure their place in the A Final of the lightweight double sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Racice today. France were outstanding throughout the 2,000 metres and won by a length. Ireland were sixth at 500 metres, but began to move up the field in the second quarter. They moved through Greece and Germany before the end and saw off a challenge by the Germans coming up to the line – by eight hundredths of a second.

Italy won the second semi-final from Britain and Poland – but in a much slower time.

European Rowing Championships, Day Two (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – Semi-Final One: 1 France (P Houin, J Azou) 6:35.68, 2 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan) 6:38.09, 3 Germany (L Schaefer, J Osborne) 6:38.17; 4 Czech Republic 6:41.86, 5 Greece 6:49.59, 6 Spain 7:02.70.

Semi-Fnal Two: 1 Italy 6:43.71, 2 Britain (P Chambers, W Fletcher) 6:45.29, 3 Poland 6:46.49.

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Semi-Final One: Switzerland (P Merz) 7:39.48, 2 Ireland (D Walsh) 7:42.53, 3 Italy (C Guerra) 7:43.99.

Semi-Final Two:

1 Sweden (E Fred) 7:36.74, 2 Russia (A Lebedeva) 7:37.90, 3 Germany (L Pieper) 7:42.46.

Published in Rowing

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Denise Walsh Secures A Final Spot at European Rowing

#Rowing: Denise Walsh qualified for the A Final of the lightweight single sculls by finishing second in her semi-final at the European Rowing Championships in Racice today. The race was won, with a dominant peformance, by Patricia Merz of Switzerland. She started well, built a clearwater lead by halfway and showed no weakness as Walsh tried to reel her in in. Italy’s Clara Guerra took third place and the other A Final spot.

In the second semi-final, Sweden’s Emma Fred won in a slightly better time than Merz’s, but she was pushed by Anastasia Lebedeva of Russia and Germany’s Leonie Pieper, who took the remaining A Final slots.

European Rowing Championships, Day Two (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Semi-Final One: Switzerland (P Merz) 7:39.48, 2 Ireland (D Walsh) 7:42.53, 3 Italy (C Guerra) 7:43.99.

Semi-Final Two:

1 Sweden (E Fred) 7:36.74, 2 Russia (A Lebedeva) 7:37.90, 3 Germany (L Pieper) 7:42.46.

Published in Coastal Rowing

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour