35 crews from ERBC travelled to Portadown Regatta on Saturday and won 16 of their categories. Most of the senior rowers trained at home in preparation for Lough Rynn Regatta next weekend and National Schools’ Regatta at the end of May. It was up to the junior rowers to show the competition what they could do, and they did it in very fine style indeed.
The MJ16 4X+ crew of William Bogle, Justin Smith, Joe Murphy, Hugo McChesney and Cox Daniel Montgomery had a rowover in their QF when the crew from RBAI didn’t slip. They overcame the boys from Coleraine Grammar School by 3 lengths in the semi and won ‘easily’ over Carrick RC in the final.
The WJ14 2X crew, Isabella Wright and Natalie Turner won their straight final over Neptune RC very convincingly.
In the MJ15 2X finals Jake Sembhi and Ben Cameron took the win over the Bann RC B crew and cousins Harry Coalter and Charlie Lynn overcame the boys from Coleraine GS by 3 lengths.
The 2 MJ14 2X crews also won their races, Jacob Woods and Dara McMurray–Taylor beat boys from Portadown BC and Oliver McNeary and Cameron Bell beat Bann B crew easily.
Harry Welsh, Lewis Coalter, Matthew Montgomery, Oliver Krawczyk and cox Daniel Montgomery won the MJ14 4X+ after a very exciting race, they took the win by 1 length.
In the single sculls races Shannon McCann, Eoghan Campbell and Cillian Donaghy won their races.
In one of the most hotly contested races of the day the two ERBC MJ16 2X crews raced each other down the 1000m course in the semi final with Hugo McChesney and Joe Murphy taking the win by only 1 length over Justin Smith and William Bogle. Joe and Hugo went on to win the final over Carrick RC by 3 ½ lengths.
Emily Black and Brooke Davis won the WJ14 2X by 5 lengths over the girls from Bann RC.
Both the WJ15 4X+ crews won Abbie McCarthy Magwood, Grace Collins, Natalie Turner, Isabella Wright and cox Abbey Wilson won over Method’s RC by 5 lengths while Darcy Balfour, Shannon McCann, Abbey Johnston, Caitlin Kelly and cox Errie Powell won ‘easily’ over the girls from Neptune RC.
Both MJ15 4X+ crews also took the win, Eoghan Campbell, Charlie Lynn, Jacob Woods, Ben Cameron and Cox Grace Collins beat Bann by 3 lengths and Bruno Maguire Favro, Jake Sembhi, Harry Coalter, Cillian Donaghy and Cox Catherine McCaffrey overcame the crew from Carrick RC by the same distance.
Many thanks to everyone who took the rowers to Portadown and helped get them on and off the water for the races, it is much appreciated. Next on the busy rowing calendar is Lough Rynn Regatta next Saturday, 6th May. 
