ERBC hosted Erne Fours Head event on Saturday last on the four mile course from the top of the Killyhevlin straight to the boathouse. The flow was strong and fast but the weather was unseasonably fine and 141 crews completed the course. The men’s race started at 11 amand the following were winners from ERBC.
The Junior 14 boys quad were the youngest crew in the club to win their event and continued where they had left off last season. They stormed away from the start and beat St Michael’s Limerick and Methodist College and also left many older junior crews in their wake as well some adult crews.[Josh Allen, Oliver Collins, Levi Thompson Eli Irvine and cox Freya McNeary.] The J15 quad stroked by Evan Clarke were narrowly defeated by Coleraine but beat four other crews and indicated that they have enough skill to make the season ahead successful. The J16 quad won their event by defeating Methody and Commercial Dublin- the winning margin was slight and shows that Methody are again a force to be reckoned with in Irish rowing. [Cillian Donaghy, Matthew Montgomery, Andries Ferreira, Shane O’Donnell and cox Jessica Thompson.] In the Junior 18 quad scull race the Enniskillen which was well stroked by Jake Sembhi were a fine second to an outstanding Methodist crew. The ERBC coxed four won well from Athlone, Neptune and St Joseph’s Galway. [Austin Cassidy, Luke Bailey, Ryan Topping, Evan Donaghy, and cox Abbey Wilson.] The season ahead looks very promising when this J18 group of rowers combine to make an eight which will take shape in the months ahead.
In the women’s race which took place in the early afternoon there were successes for the host club. The J14 girls quad won handsomely from Castleconnell and Methody and another younger Enniskillen crew who rowed well and were stroked by Sophia Latimer. [Maeve Rolston- McAuliffe, Kaitlyn Read, Michaela Inhat, Beth Bradley and cox leah Topping.] The J16 quad scull won decisively from Commercial, Dublin. and their own B crew but the real story lies in how they dispatched a number of adult crews. [Tori Davis, Grace Collins, Clodagh Donaghy, Brooke Davis and cox Jessica Thompson.] The J18B crew of Sienna Howe, Darcy Balfour, Maeve Murphy and Zara Lindsay won in a very close race with St Michael’s by three seconds. The J18 four with Zara Welsh at stroke won an extremely tight race with Galway rowing club by 2 seconds and beat several adult crews in the main classification. The other members of the crew were Rhea Cartin- McCloskey, Hannah Armstrong and Abbie McCarthy Magwood. The J18 quad scull were having a fine tussle with Methodist college but ran into some technical difficulties and finished second to the well drilled Belfast crew. The stroke of this crew was Claire Walsh who has recently joined the club and is a very welcome addition to the senior group
Overall, this was a superbly run event by ERBC and along with the many local sponsors, including Waterways Ireland, and countless volunteers it has become the premier fours event in Ireland.
Many thanks to everyone who helped out on Saturday, it is much appreciated by everyone at ERBC.
