#ROWING: A Commercial/Old Collegians composite eight beat Trinity to win the men’s senior eights title at the Neptune Regatta at Islandbridge today. The winners had just half a length to spare at the end of a good race.

Michael Maher, the number two man in the winning boat, had earlier won the senior single sculls, while Holly Nixon beat Eimear Lambe in the women’s club one single sculls.

The event was held in excellent, sunny, conditions.

Neptune Regatta, Islandbridge

Men

Eight – Senior: Commercial/Old Collegians (N Gahan, M Maher, R Peguet, S Jacob, D Neale, A Maher, F Groome, J Graham; cox G Connolly) bt Trinity, ½l. Novice: UCD B bt Trinity B, 3l. Masters: Belfast RC bt Carlow 1½ l. Junior 16: Portora bt Bann 4l.

Four – Club One, coxed: UCD bt Blackrock, ¾l. Intermediate, coxed: Trinity bt Neptune, easily. Junior, coxed: Portora bt Bann 6l. Masters, coxed: Carlow (D) bt Commercial (C) easily

Sculling, Quadruple – Club Two, coxed: Commercial bt Athlone 2½ l. Junior 18: Athlone bt Commercial 1½ l.

Junior 16, coxed: Commercial bt Bann, 4l. Junior 15, coxed: St Michael’s bt Methodist Col, 1½ l. Junior 14, coxed: New Ross bt St Michael’s ½ l.

Double – Junior 16: St Michael’s bt Graiguenamanagh, easily

Single – Senior: Commercial (M Maher) bt Trinity (G Como) easily. Club One: Garda (D Kelly) bt UCD (Toland) canvas. Club Two: Trinity (Addison) bt Trinity (Slevin). Intermediate One: Trinity (Rooney) bt Sligo 2l. Junior 18: Clonmel (Shannon) bt Clonmel (Lonergan). Junior 16: Graiguenamanagh (Lennon) bt Graiguenamanagh (Scully) 3l.

Women

Eight – Club One: Portora bt UCD, 3½ l. Junior 18: Portora bt Bann. Junior 16: Portora bt Galway, 2l. Junior 15: Portora A bt Portora B 2l.

Four – Club One, coxed: Commercial A bt Commercial B, easily.

Sculling, Quadruple – Club Two: Galway bt Neptune, 2½ l. Junior 18: Neptune bt Methodist Col, 4l. Junior 16, coxed: Bann bt St Michael’s 4l. Junior 15, coxed: Commercial bt Methodist Col 4l. Junior 14, coxed: New Ross bt St Michael’s.

Double – Junior 16: Clonmel bt Methodist Col Did Not Finish. Junior 15: Col Chiarain bt Clonmel 4l.

Single – Club One: Portora (H Nixon) bt Commercial (E Lambe) 1l. Club Two: Carlow (H O’Toole) bt Athy 2l. Jun 18: Commercial (A Rodger) bt Methodist Col. Junior 16: Clonmel bt Sligo (Did Not Finish).

#ROWING: The Ireland trials on Newry Canal this weekend may be altered because of the forecast of bad weather. Time trials are scheduled for both days over five kilometres, but the distance on Sunday might be cut to 2.5 km. The hope is to use the more sheltered part of the course.

Meanwhile, the Cork Head of the River is now set to be held on March 8th. The interest in the Erne Head of the River on March 1st is impressive, with 77 crews entered.

# ROWING: The Afloat Rower of the Month for October is Holly Nixon. The 18-year-old Fermanagh woman is on scholarship to the University of Virginia in the United States, and she rowed in the number three seat of the crew which finished an impressive third in the Women’s Championships Eights at the Head of the Charles in Boston. This was the top position for a college crew, and placed them ahead of the Dutch and Canadian national teams.

Rower of the Month awards: The judging panel is made up of Liam Gorman, rowing correspondent of The Irish Times 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 2012. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2012 champions list grow.

# ROWING: The University of Virginia crew, with Ireland’s Holly Nixon in the number three seat, put some of the top rowers in the world behind them as they finished third in the Women’s Championship Eight at the Head of the Charles in Boston yesterday. A “great eight” of top scullers, rowing as Cambridge BC, were the fastest crew, but they were penalised 10 seconds, thus yielding their win to the The United States in this time trial event. Canada’s Olympic silver-medal crew could only finish eighth and London Rowing Club, featuring British and New Zealand internationals were fourth. Nixon, who is just 18, is on scholarship to University of Virginia. She took a silver medal at the World Junior Championships last year.