UCD stand on top of the Grand League points table after the first regatta of the season. Skibbereen, the hosts of last month's regatta are in second. Trinity, who won the Irish University Championships, have good showing for both their women's club, DULBC, and the men's club.  

Below is the  Grand League Rowing points table. Next up for the Grand League series: Queens Regatta, May 14th, Metro Regatta, May 28th and Cork & Monkstown Regatta, July 2nd.

Overall Club Points	After Skibbereen Regatta
1	U.C.D. BC	187
2	Skibbereen RC	119
3	Shandon BC	107
4	St. Michaels Rowing Club	103
5	Dublin University Ladies BC	94
6	Cork BC	92
7	NUI Galway BC	82
8	Commercial RC	72
9	Neptune RC	71
10	Dublin University BC	55
11	Muckross RC	53
12	U.C.C. RC	49
13	University of Limerick RC	47.5
14	Carlow RC	46
15	St. Josephs College RC	43
16	Shannon RC	41
17	Fermoy RC	40
18	Clonmel RC	32
19	Athlunkard BC	29
20	Lee RC	29
21	Galway RC	20
22	Killorglin RC	18.5
23	Cappoquin	17
24	Tralee RC	17
25	Three Castles Rowing Club	15
26	Garda Siochana BC	14
27	Colaiste Chiarain RC	12
28	Lee Valley RC	12
29	Workmens RC	12
30	Old Collegians BC (Walshe)	10
31	Presentation College RC	10
32	Graiguenamanagh BC	9
33	Fossa RC	7
34	Grainne Mhaol RC	4
35	Castleconnell BC	1
Mens Division 1	After Skibbereen Regatta
1	U.C.D. BC	74
2	Skibbereen RC	65
3	Neptune RC	39
4	Dublin University BC	30
5	Carlow RC	28
6	Commercial RC	28
7	Lee RC	24
8	Cork BC	22
9	NUI Galway BC	22
10	Muckross RC	21
11	St. Josephs College RC	17
12	University of Limerick RC	17
13	St. Michaels Rowing Club	15
14	Lee Valley RC	12
15	Shandon BC	12
16	Presentation College RC	10
17	Fossa RC	7
18	Garda Siochana BC	6
19	U.C.C. RC	6
20	Workmens RC	5
21	Grainne Mhaol RC	4
22	Three Castles Rowing Club	3
23	Clonmel RC	1
Mens Division 2	After Skibbereen Regatta
1	St. Michaels Rowing Club	38
2	Cork BC	33
3	Neptune RC	32
4	U.C.D. BC A	27
5	St. Josephs College RC	26
6	Dublin University BC	25
7	Shannon RC	24
8	Shandon BC	23
9	U.C.C. RC	23
10	Fermoy RC	21
11	Athlunkard BC	17
12	Carlow RC	12
13	Cappoquin RC	11
14	University of Limerick RC	11
15	Commercial RC	9
16	Skibbereen RC	9
17	Tralee RC	9
18	Workmens RC	7
19	Clonmel RC	6
20	Graiguenamanagh BC	6
21	NUI Galway BC	6
22	Lee RC	5
23	Colaiste Chiarain RC	4
24	Muckross RC	1
Womens Division 1	After Skibbereen Regatta
1	U.C.D. BC	61
2	Dublin University Ladies BC	47
3	Skibbereen RC	45
4	Shandon BC	40
5	St. Michaels Rowing Club	38
6	NUI Galway BC	29
7	Muckross RC	23
8	Killorglin RC	14.5
9	Three Castles Rowing Club	12
10	Old Collegians BC	10
11	University of Limerick RC	9.5
12	Clonmel RC	9
13	Cork BC	9
14	U.C.C. RC	9
15	Athlunkard BC	1
Womens Division 2	After Skibbereen Regatta
1	Dublin University Ladies BC	47
2	Commercial	35
3	Shandon BC	33
4	Cork BC	28
5	NUI Galway BC	25
6	U.C.D. BC	25
7	Galway RC	20
8	Fermoy RC	19
9	Shannon RC	17
10	Clonmel RC	16
11	St. Michaels Rowing Club	12
12	Athlunkard BC	11
13	U.C.C. RC	11
14	University of Limerick RC	10
15	Colaiste Chiarain	8
16	Garda Siochana BC	8
17	Muckross RC	8
18	Tralee RC	8
19	Cappoquin	6
20	Carlow RC	6
21	Killorglin RC	4
22	Graiguenamanagh	3
23	Castleconnell BC	1

East coast rowers are undertaking an Irish Sea fundraising event for the Wicklow Hospice Foundation. A group of 10 rowers will depart from Fishguard in Wales this Saturday at 3.30pm and aim to arrive in Wicklow harbour at 10am Sunday 1st May. An appeal has been made to local pleasure craft and sailing vessels to meet the crew out at sea and escort them into Wicklow harbour on Sunday morning.

Siobhan McCrohan is the Afloat Rower of the Month for April. The Galway woman was a convincing winner of the women’s single sculls final at the National Trials, following a similar win at the National Assessment in Newry. Last season she placed sixth at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne in a lightweight single scull, and partnered Claire Lambe in a lightweight double scull to sixth place at the World Cup in Bled and fourth at the European Championships in Portugal. Afloat wishes Siobhan and all the Ireland team well in the season ahead.

Rower of the Month awards: The judging panel is made up of Liam Gorman, rowing correspondent of The Irish Times, President of Rowing Ireland Anthony Dooley and David O'Brien, Editor of Afloat magazine. Monthly awards for achievements during the year will appear on afloat.ie and the overall national award will be presented to the person or crew who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to rowing during 2011. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2011 champions list grow.

Lightweight rowing athletes Siobhan McCrohan and Mark O’Donovan won the single sculls medals – an innovation this year – at the National Trials at the NRC in Cork. McCrohan held off heavyweight Lisa Dilleen to take her crown, while O’Donovan led in the three men who formed the medal-winning Ireland lightweight quadruple scull with him last year – Michael Maher, Niall Kenny and Justin Ryan. Sanita Puspure, who is injured, was a notable absentee from the women's race: McCrohan’s closest lightweight rival, Claire Lambe (20), finished third.

Sixteen-year-old Paul O’Donovan from Skibbereen was the outstanding junior on show, placing fifth in the A Final, while the men’s junior pair from Bann Rowing Club, Joel Cassells an Chris Black, were also impressive in their victory in this grade.

 

National Trials, National Rowing Centre, Cork (percentages in brackets of estimated world gold-medal winning time for the athlete’s grade). Senior athletes lightweight unless stated.

Saturday – Finals

Men

Pair (all juniors) – A Final: 1 J Cassells, C Black 6:58.6 (93.3), 2 C Egan, F Tolan 7:05.3 (91.8), 3 L Seaman, H Millar 7:05.7 (91.7), 4 E Beechinor, K Synott 7:11.4 (90.5), 5 J Egan, A Kelly 7:16.7 (89.4), 6 D Hindle, A Bell 7:19.4 (88.9). B Final: 1 S Hewitt, P Boomer 7:16.7 (89.4), 2 C O’Riada, K Doyle 7:19.3 (88.9), 3 D Buckley, K Mitchell 7:29.2 (87.0).

Sculling, Single – A Final: 1 M O’Donovan 7:12.9 (senior; 92.4), 2 M Maher 7:15.1 (snr; 91.9), 3 N Kenny 7:17.4 (under-23; 93.7), 4 J Ryan 7:21.5 (92.9), 5 P O’Donovan 7:22.1 (junior; 93.6), 6 P Hanily 7:22.9 (under-23; 92.6), 7 S O’Driscoll 7:24.2 (under-23; 92.3).

B Final: 1 A English 7:24.5 (snr; 90.0), 2 J Mitchell 7:26.8 (91.8), 3 A Sheehan 7:29.6 (under-23; 92.1), 4 N Prenderville 7:30.5 (under-23; 91.9), 5 D Quigley 7:37.2 (90.6).

C Final (all juniors): 1 M Monteith 7:41.3 (89.8), 2 L McCarthy 7:44.4 (89.1), 3 D Collins 7:48.6 (88.3). D Final: 1 P Leonard 7:51.4 (87.8). E Final: C Noone 7:48 (88.4).

Women,

Pair – A Final: 1 A Sheehan, H O’Sullivan 8:08.0 (88.2), 2 L Murphy, K Mackey 8:10.6 (87.7), 3 F Murtagh, K Wade 8:22.8 (85.6), 4 E Byrne, K McEneff 8:25.9 (85.1), 5 R Gilligan, H McCarthy 8:34.8 (83.6).

Sculling, Single – A Final: 1 S McCrohan 7:53.5 (senior; 92.9), 2 L Dilleen 7:55.3 (under-23 heavyweight; 91.5), 3 C Lambe 8:02.5 (under-23; 93.3), 4 E Moran 8:03.7 (heavyweight; 87.9), 5 Sarah Dolan 8:04.5 (under-23; 93.1), 6 D Walsh 8:13.8 (under-23; 91.3).

B Final: 1 H Nixon 8:14.9 (junior; 91.7), 2 O Hayes 8:26.2 (senior; 86.9), 3 Sinead Dolan 8:25.9 (under-23; 88.6). C Final: K Cromie 8:26.9 (89.6). D Final: B Walsh 8:39.5 (junior; 87.4).

Latest Rowing news

Sarah Dolan, an under-23 lightweight, and Paul O’Donovan, a junior athlete, topped the rankings at the National Rowing Trials at the National Rowing Centre in Cork and made the A Finals of the single scull. Dolan registered 96.3 per cent of projected world gold medal winning time, while O’Donovan hit a mark or 95.7 per cent.

National Trials, National Rowing Centre, Cork (percentages in brackets of estimated world gold-medal winning time for the athlete’s grade). Senior athletes lightweight unless stated.

Men, Semi-Finals (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final)

Pair – A/B Semi-Final One (all juniors): 1 J Cassells, C Black 6:52.5 (94.1), 2 J Egan, A Kelly (7:03.2), 3 E Beechinor, K Synnott 7:03.6 (91.6); 4 C O’Riada, K Doyle 7:05.7 (91.2), 5 D Buckley, J Mitchell 7:15.2 (89.2).

A/B Semi-Final Two: 1 C Egan, F Tolan 6:57.4 (93.0), 2 L Seaman, H Millar 7:04.0 (91.5), 3 D Hindle, A Bell 7:05.3 (91.3); 4 S Hewitt, P Boomer 7:08.3 (90.6).

Sculling, Single - Semi-Final A/B One: 1 M Maher  7:06.0 (senior; 93.3 per cent), 2 S O’Driscoll 7.08.2 (under-23; 95.1), 3 P O’Donovan 7:o9.7 (junior; 95.7); 4 A English 7:11.4 (92.1), 5 J Mitchell 7:19.3 (92.7), 6 D Quigley 7:26.2 (92.2)

Semi-Final A/B Two: 1 M O’Donovan 7:07.9 (senior; 92.9), 2 N Kenny 7:09.2 (under-23; 94.9), 3 P Hanily 7:09.3 (under-23; 7:09.3); 4 J Ryan 7:10.7, 5 A Sheehan 7:29.6 (under-23; 91.5), 6 N Prenderville 7:32.5 (under-23; 90.9) * Ryan Goes Through to A Final, due to effect of launch.

C/D Semi-Final (all juniors) First Three To C Final – Semi-Final One: 1 M Monteith 7:24.6 (92.5), 2 P Hegarty 7:27.2 (92.0), 3 M Ryan 7:32.4 (90.9); 4 B Wilson 7:36.8 (90.1), 5 B Looney 7:38.4, 6 D Aherne 7:38.5 (89.7).  C/D Semi-Final Two: 1 D Collins 7:29.1 (91.6), 2 A Griffin 7:31.7 (91.1), 3 C Kelly 7:32.3 (91.0); 4 P Leonard 7:35.1 (90.4), 5 J Casey 7:41.1 (89.2).

Women,

Single Scull – A/B Semi-Final One: 1 S McCrohan 7:43.9 (senior; 94.2), 2 C Lambe 7:50.9 (under-23; 7:50.9), 3 E Moran 7:55.4 (open senior; 88.8); 4 O Hayes 8:00.6 (senior; 91.0), 5 S Dineen 8:03.0 (junior; 93.4), 6 Sinead Dolan 8:15.9 (under-23; 90.4).

A/B Semi-Final Two: 1 Sarah Dolan 7:45.5 (under-23; 96.3), 2 L Dilleen 7:46.1 (u-23; 92.8), 3 D Walsh 7:49.5 (u23; 95.5); 4 H Nixon 7:54.5 (junior; 95.1), 5 C Deasy 8:12.2 (junior; 91.7), 6 R Shorten 8:16.2 (90.9).

C/D Semis (all juniors) – Semi-Final One: 1 K Cromie 8:09.5 (92.2), 2 L Litvack 8:16.3 (90.9), 3 K O’Brien 8:17.9 (90.6); 4 N O’Mahony 8:23.1 (89.7), 5 B Walsh 8:23.3 (89.6), 6 S Allen 8:26.9 (89.0). Semi-Final Two: 1 H Shinnick 8:10.7 (91.7), 2 B Jacques 8:12.7 (91.6), 3 L Connolly 8:17.0 (90.8); 4 G Hosford 8:17.1 (90.2), 5 L Hamel 8:22.7 (89.7).

The first Grand League rowing regatta of the season, hosted by Skibbereen at the National Rowing Centre in Cork, came successfully through a bout of fog. The fastest crew on the day were the University of Limerick/Garda senior eight, while John Keohane of Lee Valley and Becky Quinn of Three Castles were the fastest single scullers.

 Skibbereen Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Cork, Sunday

Men

Eight – Divison One – A Final: 1 University of Limerick/Garda (senior) 6:01.02, 2 Trinity (under-23/senior) 6:03.05, 3 Neptune (intermediate) 6:04.69; 5 St Joseph’s (junior 18A) 6:12.15. 

Division Two – A Final: 1 Trinity A (novice) 6:29.64, 2 UCC (nov) 6:35.37, 3 Trinity B (nov) 6:45.81; 4 St Michael’s (jun 16) 7:19.31. B Final: 1 UCD B (nov) 6:58.60, 2 St Joseph’s (jun 16) 7:01.38, 3 NUIG (nov) 7:07.41.

Four – Division One – A Final: 1 UCD A (senior) 6:22.39, 2 UCD B (sen) 6:29.47, 3 Commercial (sen) 6:34.00.

Four, coxed – Division One - A Final: Trinity (intermediate) 6:39.28, 2 Univ of Limerick (senior) 6:39.96, 3 UCD  B (inter) 6:45.00.  B Final: 1 Neptune (intermediate) 6:57.16, 2 Fossa (inter) 6:58.80, 3 NUIG (inter) 6:59.36); 5 Presentation (jun 18A) 7:21.80. Division Two – A Final: 1 UCC (novice) 6:55.61, 2 Cappoquin (nov) 6:59.11, 3 UCD A (nov) 7:02.33; 5 St Joseph’s A (jun 16) 7:23.49. B Final: 1 Workmen’s (novice) 7:10.14, 2 Clonmel (jun 16) 7:20.88, 3 St Michael’s (jun 16) 7:29.93.

Pair – Division One – A Final: 1 UCD B (senior) 7:07.81, 2 UCD A (sen) 7:11.76, 3 Commercial (sen) 7:19.40; 4 NUIG (inter) 7:25.25; 6 St Joseph’s (jun 18) 7:36.35. B Final: 1 Presentation (jun 18) 7:25.43, 2 St Michael’s (senior) 7:32.99, 3 Lee (jun) 7:33.60. C Final: Commercial/Carlow (u23/sen) 7:33.31.

Sculling, Quadruple – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (senior) 6:24.80, 2 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 6:27.50, 3 Carlow (jun 18A) 6:27.92. Division Two (coxed) – A Final: 1 Carlow (jun 18B) 7:09.09, 2 Neptune (jun 18B) 7:10.97, 3 Cork (jun 16) 7:11.23. B Final: 1 Neptune (jun 16) 7:23.32, 2 Col Chiarain (jun 16) 7:45.88, 3 Fermoy (jun 16) 7:55.38.

Double – Division One – A Final: 1 Muckross (senior) 6:46.41, 2 Skibbereen (sen) 6:55.41, 3 Cork/Neptune 7:04.47; 4 Lee (intermediate one) 7:06.39; 5 Skibbereen (jun 18A) 7:16.16. B Final: 1 UCC (intermediate) 7:09.84, 2 Neptune (jun 18A) 7:11.74, 3 Lee (jun 18A) 7:21.59. Division Two – A Final: 1 Cork (jun 16) 7:18.41, 2 Univ of Limerick (novice) 7:19.23, 3 Shannon (jun 16) 7:22.42; 5 Athlunkard (jun 18B) 7:40.98. B Final: 1 Graiguenamanagh (jun 18B) 7:41.55, 2 Lee (jun 16) 7:43.06, 3 Tralee (jun 18B) 7:48.74.

Single – Division One – A Final: 1 Lee Valley (Keohane; senior) 7:16.01, 2 Carlow (Brady; inter) 7:27.80, 3 Skibbereen (Murphy; sen) 7:29.58. B Final: 1 Skibbereen (O’Donovan; jun 18A) 7:25.42, 2 Grainne Mhaol (Mannion; senior) 7:32.01, 3 Three Castles (Folan; inter) 7:36.08. C Final: Clonmel (Prendergast; inter) 7:42.81. D Final: Univ of Limerick (Sheehan; inter) 8:00.00. E Final: Skibbereen (Murphy; inter) 8:18.69.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Neptune (Griffin; novice) 7:56.42, 2 Shandon (Casey; jun 16) 8:13.04, 3 Shannon (Radic; jun 18) 8:18.06. B Final: 1 Shandon (Harrington; jun 16) 8:16.11, 2 Shandon (Coffey; jun 18) 8:27.98, 3 Shannon (O’Carroll; novice) 8:28.98. 

Women

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 St Michael’s (jun 18A) 6:50.43, 2 Trinity (senior) 6:54.23, 3 NUIG (intermediate) 6:57.04; 5 Trinity (u23/senior) 7:06.39. Division Two – A Final: 1 NUIG (novice) 7:13.61, 2 UCC (nov) 7:14.07, 3 UCD (nov) 7:16.71; 5 Cork (jun 16) 7:23.04; 6 Commercial (jun 18B) 7:25.69. B Final: 1 Trinity C (novice) 7:22.23, 2 Killorglin (jun 16) 7:33.24, 3 Trinity B (nov) 7:34.28; 7 Athlone (jun 16) 10:00.83.

Four – Division One – A Final: 1 Muckross (senior) 7:23.62, 2 UCD (senior) 7:29.41, 3 Trinity (senior) 7:31.83; 4 Clonmel (junior 18A) 7:59.65.

Four, coxed – Division One – A Final: 1 Trinity (inter) 7:45.79, 2 NUIG (inter)  7:50.28, 3 UCD (inter) 8:01.89. Division Two – A Final: 1 Trinity (novice) 7:51.33, 2 NUIG (nov) 7:57.33, 3 Galway (jun 16) 8:01.52; 6 Clonmel (jun 18B) 8:18.28. B Final: 1 UCD B (nov) 8:06.59, 2 Trinity B (nov) 8:15.39, 3 Fermony (jun 18B) 8:30.62.

Pair – Division One – A Final: 1 St Michael’s (jun 18A) 8:13.64, 2 UCD (u23/senior) 8:18.20.

Sculling

Quadruple – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (u23/sen) 7:23.48, 2 UCD (senior) 7:33.75, 3 Shandon (junior) 7:46.03. Division Two – A Final: 1 Cork (jun 16) 8:01.23, 2 Commercial (jun 16) 8:12.81, 3 Galway (jun 16) 8:21.32. B Final: 1 Cappoquin (jun 16) 8:40.69; 3 Commercial (nov) 8:59.23. C Final: Cork (novice) 8:39.28.

Double – Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (u23/sen) 7:48.93, 2 Univ of Limerick/Killorglin (senior) 8:01.02, 3 Skibbereen (jun 18) 8:06.83. B Final: 1 Shandon (jun 18A) 8:25.22, 2 St Michael’s (inter) 8:27.17, 3 UCC (inter) 8:52.65.  Division Two – A Final: 1 Fermoy (jun 16) 8:17.80, 2 Shannon (novice) 8:22.14, 3 Univ of Limerick (nov) 8:26.38; 7 Carlow (jun 18B) 9:04.96. B Final: 1 St Michael’s (jun 16) 8:39.32, 2 Commercial (jun 16) 8:41.44, 3 Shandon (jun 18B) 8:59.64.

Single – Division One – A Final: 1 Three Castles (Quinn; lightweight) 8:17.41, 2 Skibbereen (Fitzgerald; inter one) 8:21.39, 3 Old Collegians (Walshe; senior) 8:27.23. B Final: 1 Trinity (Dolan; u23/senior) 8:21.16, 2 St Michael’s (O’Brien; jun 18A) 8:33.33, 3 Univ of Limerick (O’Sullivan; senior) 8:38.31.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Shandon (Mertz; jun 18B) 8:52.83, 2 Athlunkard (Green; jun 18B) 9:00.19, 3 Trinity (Dowling; novice) 9:16.15; 5 Tralee (Deady; jun 16) 9:46.58.

Last year's Grand League winners, Skibbereen Rowing Club, will host the first of four Rowing Ireland Grand League regattas at the National Rowing Centre in Cork this weekend (April 9)

Other challengers this season will be runners up Neptune along with St. Michael's, Limerick, Commercial and UCD who all finished in the top five last season. Skibbereen Regatta sees a number of impressive crews start their challenge to become Grand League winners. With the absence of an NUIG entry, UCD's Senior 4 - stand out as the crew to watch. Muckross Olympians Sean Casey and Cathal Moynihan race together for the first time in the Senior 2x. As has been the trend, the men's Intermediate 1x has a large entry, as do all junior events. The Novice 8+ and 4+ Grand League titles look set to be fought for, mainly by the University clubs.

This is the second year the new Grand League will run at selected Irish regattas. The new format is designed to give competitive rowers more race time and allows all rowers to compete on speed as opposed to competing in strictly age-related or  wins-related categories. The new system remains virtually unchanged from the 2010 season with all boats racing off in a series of heats which are timed, with the fastest six going into the A final and the next six into the B final.

Regatta hosts, Skibbereen RC, celebrated their 40th anniversary last year in impressive style, winning the Grand League and taking 14 national titles to bring the clubs' overall total to 123. They also hosted one of the country's best attended regattas last year with 456 crews racing. At international level, the club were well represented on national teams winning medals at the under 23 Worlds, the Coupe de la Jeunesse and Home Internationals.

The club capped off the year by opening a new boathouse, one of the largest ever built in Ireland. While the club's main emphasis is competitive rowing, they also take in 180 students for their annual schools rowing programme – an annual eight week course involving nine local schools.

The second Grand League regatta will be hosted by Queen's University in Castlewellan, Co. Down on May 14th.

UCD’s women’s senior eight maintained their advantage over Trinity by beating them in a straight final at Neptune rowing regatta, while in the men’s junior 18 eight final Colaiste Iognaid of Galway beat Carlow by one foot.

Neptune Regatta, Islandbridge, Saturday

Men, Eight – Intermediate: Neptune bt Galway ¾ l. Novice: UCD B bt Queen’s 1l. Junior 18: Col Iognaid bt Carlow 1 foot. Masters: Old Collegians bt Commercial canvas.

Four, coxed – Senior: Commercial bt Neptune ½ l. Intermediate: Queen’s bt Garda easily. Novice: UCD bt Fermoy A 2l. Junior 18: Athlone bt Col Iognaid 1l.

Quadruple, coxed – Novice: Neptune B bt Neptune A 1½ l. Junior 18: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Carlow disqualified. Junior 16: Bann bt Neptune easily. Double, coxed – Junior 16: Commercial bt Galway 4l. Single – Senior: Commercial (Dowling) bt Carlow (Murphy) 2l. Intermediate: Carlow (Brady) bt Carlow (Murphy) 2½ l. Junior 18: Neptune (Griffin) bt Neptune (Noone) 3l. Junior 16: Commercial (d’Estelle-Roe) bt Neptune (Callaghan) 1½ l.

Women, Eight – Senior: UCD bt Trinity 1¼ l. Intermediate: Trinity bt UCD, disqualified. Novice: UCD bt Trinity C 4l. Junior 18: Neptune bt Commercial 1¼ l.

Four, coxed – Senior: UCD bt Trinity 3l. Intermediate: Trinity bt UCD ½l. Novice: Neptune bt Trinity 3l.

Sculling, Quadruple, coxed – Novice: Neptune bt Commercial easily. Junior 18 (coxless): Neptune bt Col Iognaid B 2l. Junior 16: Fermoy bt Col Iognaid easily. Double – Junior 16: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Col Iognaid 3l.

Single – Intermediate: Shandon (Corcoran-O’Hare) bt Bann (Taggart) 2½ l. Novice: Commercial (Coughlan) bt Commercial easily. Junior 18: Fermoy (Shinnick) bt Commercial (Rodger) 3l.

Queen’s University placed two rowing crews in the top 25 of the giant Head of the River in London. While the top Queen’s crew finished 15th after starting in 9th, the second improved from 26th to 22nd. Ireland also a third crew inside the top 50, in the shape of University of Limerick, who finished 49th.

Head of the River, London, Saturday (Irish interest)

1 Leander 16 minutes 50.75 seconds; 15 Queen’s University One 17:27.37; 22 Queen’s University Two 17:46.03; 49 University of Limerick 18:03.04.

 

The last in the series of Rowing Ireland's National Blade Heads takes place in Belfast this Saturday with the Lagan Head of the River hosted by Belfast Rowing Club.

There are 148 crews over the three races starting with pairs and sculls, then doubles and fours and finishing in the afternoon with eights and quads. The third race features 35 eights and 26 quads.

The big race of the day, the men's senior eights, which starts at 3.45 pm, will feature a high intensity race between the two Queen's University eights.  The A Queen's crew, with new strokeman, Mike Ewing, have been relatively the same crew for the last three years. This is the crew which mounted serious challenges to the victorious NUIG team at the Irish Rowing Championships, narrowly missing out on a national senior eight by a mere few feet on two occasions.  The A team's Ewing won a Wyfold cup (men's coxless four) at Henley last year.

The women's intermediate eights should prove interesting with a crew entered from St Andrews in Scotland who will be up against Queen's University Ladies and St Michael's, Limerick.

The men's junior 16 eights sees all the Ulster crews up against each other whilst the men's junior 18 quads sees Blackrock College, Dublin, Shandon ,Limerick and Offaly Rowing Club take on the Ulster schools.

Eight crews will contest the men's Master's pennant (over 28s) with Galway, Bann and Athlone pushing the Belfast-based masters crews, Belfast Boat Club, Belfast Rowing Club and the Lady Victoria Boat Club, all the way. The former Queen's ladies rower ,Frenchwoman Solange Garrais is bringing a men's Masters and a women's Masters quad from Aviron Grenoblois, France to compete.

The 10.45 am and 13.15 pm races start at the Albert Bridge in Belfast and finish at Queen's boathouse at Stranmillis. The 15.45 pm race starts at the Odyssey building in Belfast Harbour and finishes at Queen's boathouse at Stranmillis. There are viewing points along the full length of each race.

The official start to the regatta season takes place on Saturday 2nd April with the Neptune regatta at Islandbridge, Dublin.

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