Displaying items by tag: Paralympics,

2nd September 2012

Ireland Finish Tenth at Paralympic Rowing Regatta

# ROWING: Ireland’s adaptive coxed four finished fourth in their B Final, 10th overall, at the Paralympic Rowing Regatta at Eton Dorney this morning. The crew of Anne-Marie McDaid, Sarah Caffrey, Shane Ryan, Kevin du Toit and cox Helen Arbuthnot fought it out for third with Brazil, finishing just .14 of a second behind the South Americans. Canada battled with France at the head of the field and won.

Britain beat Germany in the A Final to win gold, with the Ukraine taking bronze.

Paralympic Rowing Regatta, Eton Dorney – Day Three (Irish interest)

Legs, Trunks and Arms Mixed Coxed Four – B Final (Places 7-12): 1 Canada 3:31.17, 2 France 3:32.01, 3 Brazil 3:36.58, 4 Ireland (A-M McDaid, S Caffrey, S Ryan, K du Toit; cox: H Arbuthnot) 3:36.72, 5 Russia 3:42.73, 6 Belarus 3:45.18. A Final: 1 Britain 3:19.38, 2 Germany 3:21.44, 3 Ukraine 3:23.22, 4 China 3:23.43, 5 Italy 3:27.91, 6 United States 3:30.06.

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Ireland Fourth In Fast Rowing Repechage at Paralympic Games

# ROWING: Ireland finished fourth in their repechage of the Legs, Trunk and Arms Mixed Coxed Four at the Paralympic Games at Eton Dorney this morning and will compete in the B Final (places seven to 12) tomorrow. There were two places on offer for the A Final and the Ukraine and China set an impressive pace and qualified in first and second, holding off Canada and Ireland, with Russia fifth.

Canada were A Finalists in Beijing, but the standard in this event has improved radically: Italy won gold in Beijing with a time of 3:33.13, almost 10 seconds slower than Ukraine’s winning time this morning. Italy and the United States qualified for the A Final from the second repechage, where all the crews bar one were faster than the gold medal-winning time in Beijing.

Canada, Ireland and Russia will be joined by France, Brazil and Belarus in the B Final.

Paralympic Rowing Regatta, Eton Dorney – Day Two (Irish interest)

Legs, Trunks and Arms Mixed Coxed Four – Repechage One (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Ukraine 3:23.53, 2 China 3:25.03; 3 Canada 3:28.82, 4 Ireland (AM McDaid, S Caffrey, S Ryan, K du Toit; cox: H Arbuthnot) 3:34.85, 5 Russia 3:43.84.

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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