#Rowing: Lagan Head of the River in Belfast on Saturday drew a strong representation of clubs from Dublin and Northern Ireland. The Queen’s University novice eight was fastest in the first head, with Trinity intermediates next fastest. Single sculler Hannah Scott of Bann set an excellent time.

 The event had good rowing conditions. It had to contend with competition with the refixed St Michael’s Head at O’Brien’s Bridge.

Lagan Head of the River, Belfast, Saturday (selected results)

Race One

Men

Eight – Novice: Queen’s 10:58.3.

Four – Inter: Trinity (coxed) 11:05.8. Club One, coxed: Methody 11:22.0. Nov, coxed: Queen’s 11:14.0. Jun 18A: Enniskillen 10:44.5. Masters, coxed: Belfast BC/Belfast RC 12:18.0.

Pair – Sen: Queen’s 11:36.5. Jun 18A: Commercial 13:20.2.

Sculling,

 Quadruple – Club One, coxed: CGS 11:24.3. Nov: Queen’s A 12:46.2.  Jun 18A:  Methody B 10:57.9. Jun 16, coxed: Bann 11:21.0.

Double – Sen: Queen’s 11:55.4. Club One: Enniskillen 12:13.3. Jun 18A: Enniskillen 12:31.5. Jun 16: Enniskillen 12:20.5. Masters: Portadown E111 13:09.3.

Single – Senior: Queen’s (C Beck) 11:33.8. Inter: Lagan (W Gilbert) 12:44.6. Club One: Portadown (A Lavins) 12:58.2. Jun 18A: Bann (A Christie) 12:10.8. Masters: Molesey C (R Shirley) 12:37.0.

Women

Eight - Novice: Queen’s A 12:25.7. Jun 15: Enniskillen C 12:21.6.

Four – Club One, coxed: Queen’s 13:17.7. Masters, coxed: Belfast RC 15:42.8.

Pair – Sen: Queen’s C 13:20.2.

Sculling,

Quadruple – Club One, coxed: Portadown 13:49.4. Nov, coxed: Queen’s 13:49.0. Jun 18A: Belfast RC 13:15.4. Jun 16: Bann 12:48.1. Masters: Lagan/Belfast BC 13:47.5.

 Double – Sen: Fermoy/Queen’s 12:23.4. Club One: Queen’s 13:40.8. Jun 18A: Enniskillen B 12:45.2.

Single – Inter: Bann (K Shirlow) 13:46.1. Club One: Methody (R McBrinn) 13:34.1. Jun 18A: Bann (H Scott) 12:40.4.

Race Two

Men

Eight – Senior: Queen’s 14:15.9. Inter: Enniskillen 14:22.3. Club One: Neptune 15:50.3. Jun 18A: Commercial 14:55.2. Masters: Commercial, OCBC, Belfast BC, Neptune 15:29.9.

Four – Sen: Queen’s 16:06.1. Sen, coxed: Belfast RC 16:34.6.

Sculling

Quadruple – Sen: Lagan 15:35.4.

Women

Eight – Inter: Queen’s 17:02.6. Club One: Queen’s B 19.22.8. Jun 18A: Enniskillen 17:02.0. Jun 16: Enniskillen A 18.24.3.

Four – Sen: Belfast BC, Methody 18:25.0. Sen, coxed: Belfast RC 19.50.6.

Sculling

Quadruple – Sen: Bann, Fermoy, Methody, Queen’s 17:17.8.  

#MarineWildlife - A seabird usually found in the eastern Mediterranean has not only taken up residence in Belfast – she's successfully hatched her first chick.

The Belfast Telegraph reports on the Mediterranean gull that's been attracting bird watchers from all over Ireland to Belfast's Window on Wildlife nature reserve.

The species, very similar in appearance to the common black-headed gull, is rarely even spotted in Northern Europe, let alone known to breed in these parts.

But it seems mother and child are happy to stay in Northern Ireland's capital and feed on Belfast Lough's bounty of sand eels.

#Rowing: Trinity’s men’s novice eight were the fastest crew in Race One of the Lagan Head of the River in Belfast today. They had more than three-quarters of a minute to spare over the Queen's University novice eight. Single sculler Christ Beck of Queen’s placed 11^th overall.

 

Lagan Head of the River 2016 - Race 1 2700m at 10:30hrs
RESULTS by Time - Masters handicap not applied
POSITION CREW
NUMBER Club Class Cox/Steerer Time % of winning
time
Comm
ents
1 129 DUBC C Mens Novice 8+ A McCormack 09:45.4 100.00
2 132 QUBBC A Mens Novice 8+ J Stitt 10:32.9 108.11
3 101 RBAI Mens J18A 4X- N Reid 10:40.0 109.32
4 103 DUBC Mens Intermediate 4+ H Mulvany 10:47.0 110.53
5 105 St Josephs A Mens Intermediate 4+ C R Wanjau 10:49.4 110.94
6 113 Portora Mens J18A 4- C Ross 10:50.2 111.07
7 203 Portora Mens Club 1 2X B Rix 10:59.0 112.57
8 130 DUBC A Mens Novice 8+ C Keogh 11:03.9 113.40
9 102 St Josephs Mens J18A 4X- F Vickers 11:08.4 114.18
10 136 Portora Mens J15 8+ R Farragher 11:08.9 114.26
11 120 QUBBC Mens Senior 1X C Beck 11:15.1 115.32
12 138 Commercial (d ) Mens Masters 4+ J Briscoe 11:25.4 117.08
13 150 St Josephs Mens J16 4+ E Finnegan 11:26.3 117.23
14 116 Commercial Mens J18A 4X+ B McGuinness 11:26.3 117.24
15 202 QUBBC B Mens Club 1 2X M Taylor 11:27.4 117.43
16 133 QUBBC B Mens Novice 8+ A Sloan 11:33.1 118.40
17 131 DUBC B Mens Novice 8+ J Davis 11:33.5 118.46
18 112 Bann Mens J18A 4- A Cochrane 11:33.8 118.52
19 118 Methodist Mens Club 1 4+ A Mawhinney 11:34.1 118.57
20 106 QUBBC Mens Senior 2- D Roy 11:36.6 119.00
21 139 Belfast BC / Commercial / OCBC (e ) Mens Masters 4+ J Malloy 11:38.3 119.28
22 109 Commercial B Mens Senior 2- J Healy 11:44.1 120.28
23 107 Commercial D Mens Senior 2- J A Cash 11:46.0 120.61
24 156 Commercial Womens Intermediate 4+ K Curran 11:47.3 120.82
25 117 Commercial Mens Club 1 4+ S Eustace 11:48.7 121.05
26 176 Broxbourne RC (c) Mens Masters 1X R Shirley 11:52.2 121.67
27 124 Portora Mens Intermediate 1X M Monteith 11:54.5 122.05
28 171 Neptune Mens Novice 4X+ E Power 11:57.5 122.56
29 184 Commercial Womens J18A 4X- G MacNamara 11:57.5 122.57
30 149 Portora Mens J16 2X N Timoney 11:58.9 122.80
31 173 DULBC B Womens Senior 2X A Leahy 12:03.4 123.58
32 143 Commercial Mens J18A 1X E Meehan 12:06.6 124.13
33 126 Bann Mens J18A 2X B McNeill 12:07.0 124.19
34 205 DUBC A Mens Club 1 2X A Merle 12:08.8 124.49
35 110 Commercial A Mens Senior 2- J Forbes 12:09.6 124.63
36 162 Portora Mens Club 1 1X R Ballantine 12:10.0 124.70
37 144 Commercial Mens J18A 1X M Lynch 12:12.0 125.04
38 134 Commercial Mens J18A 2- R Brown 12:12.5 125.12
39 151 Portora Womens J18A 4- L Mulligan 12:15.0 125.55
40 121 QUBBC Mens Intermediate 1X P Martin 12:15.2 125.58
41 155 QUBLBC A Womens Intermediate 4+ G Canham 12:16.0 125.73
42 172 DULBC A Womens Senior 2X G Crowe 12:18.6 126.17
43 227 Portora Womens J15 8+ S Dolan 12:26.2 127.47
44 158 Bann Mens J15 4X+ D Clyde 12:26.6 127.54
45 153 DULBC Womens Intermediate 4+ A Reid 12:27.9 127.76
46 152 Methodist Womens J18A 4- L McIntyre 12:29.7 128.07
47 115 RBAI Mens J18A 4X+ M Honan 12:30.1 128.13
48 125 Portora Mens J18A 2X S O'Hare Smith 12:30.8 128.25
49 204 RBAI Mens Club 1 2X M Gaston 12:43.6 130.45
50 141 Commercial Mens J18A 1X O O'Toole 12:44.7 130.62
51 186 Belfast RC Womens J18A 4X- E Hobson 12:45.9 130.83
52 170 RBAI Mens Club 1 4X+ C Harley 12:51.0 131.71
53 167 Yarm School B Womens Club 1 4+ J Dodds 12:51.4 131.77
54 128 Belfast RC Mens J18A 2X J Moran 12:51.8 131.85
55 108 Commercial C Mens Senior 2- C Kinsella 12:52.2 131.91
56 127 Portadown Mens J18A 2X N Hull 12:56.3 132.61
57 183 Portora (e) Mens Masters 1X G Murphy 12:56.3 132.61
58 200 DUBC B Mens Club 1 2X D Hough 12:56.6 132.67
59 189 Commercial Womens J18A 4X+ S Carpenter 12:56.9 132.71
60 206 QUBBC A Mens Club 1 2X D Beirne 13:01.1 133.43
61 218 Methodist Womens Club 1 4X+ A Lane 13:01.8 133.55
62 178 QUBLBC A Womens Senior 2- R Davidson 13:04.7 134.05
63 212 Portora Womens J16 4X+ J Lunny 13:05.7 134.22
64 146 St Josephs B Mens J16 2X A Daly 13:06.5 134.36
65 164 Portadown Mens Club 1 1X A Laivins 13:07.2 134.48
66 193 Bann Womens J18A 1X H Scott 13:09.4 134.84
67 180 C of Derry (e) Mens Masters 1X G D'Urso 13:10.4 135.01
68 222 QUBLBC B Womens Club 1 2X A Buck 13:10.7 135.07
69 195 Bann Womens J18A 1X F Chestnutt 13:12.3 135.34
70 224 QUBLBC A Womens Novice 8+ A Ellis-Saunders 13:13.4 135.54
71 160 DUBC Mens Club 1 1X S Canning 13:16.9 136.13
72 201 Sligo Mens Club 1 2X M Donohoe 13:21.6 136.93
73 181 Lagan (e) Mens Masters 1X J Phelan 13:21.9 136.99
74 157 Lagan / Belfast BC (c ) Womens Masters 4X- L Venkatraman 13:23.2 137.20
75 226 DULBC B Womens Novice 8+ S Osters 13:24.2 137.38
76 208 LVBC (e ) Mens Masters 2X D O'Hara 13:29.3 138.25
77 225 DULBC A Womens Novice 8+ B Murphy 13:31.9 138.70
78 192 DULBC Womens Intermediate 1X G Foley 13:34.0 139.04
79 191 Yarm School Womens Intermediate 1X E Grant 13:35.6 139.33
80 223 QUBLBC B Womens Novice 8+ A Murdoch 13:38.6 139.83
81 196 Belfast RC Womens J18A 1X L Taylor 13:40.7 140.20
82 190 Bann Womens Intermediate 1X K Shirlow 13:42.1 140.43
83 174 Commercial (c) Mens Masters 1X L Gleeson 13:45.4 141.00
84 232 Bann Womens Club 1 1X A Odonovan 13:45.4 141.00
85 228 Commercial Womens J15 8+ E Walsh 13:45.7 141.05
86 114 Neptune Mens J18A 4X+ J Stapleton 13:48.4 141.51
87 217 Bann A Womens J15 4X+ C Yarnold 13:53.4 142.36
88 161 RBAI Mens Club 1 1X T Lyons 13:54.7 142.59
89 175 Belfast RC (c) Mens Masters 1X J Boomer 13:55.5 142.72
90 123 QUBBC Mens Intermediate 1X R Taylor 13:57.3 143.02
91 211 Commercial Womens J16 4X+ S Pierce 13:57.3 143.03
92 169 Yarm School A Womens Club 1 4+ A Arad 14:02.1 143.85
93 199 Belfast BC (f) Mens Masters 1X S Lockwood 14:06.9 144.67
94 182 Lagan (e) Mens Masters 1X G Reid 14:07.5 144.77
95 147 C of Derry Mens J16 2X A Simpson 14:07.8 144.83
96 215 Bann B Womens J15 4X+ D Whoriskey 14:15.2 146.08
97 188 Portora Womens J18A 2X A McCreesh 14:15.2 146.09
98 194 Belfast RC Womens J18A 1X C Coulter 14:18.0 146.57
99 148 St Josephs A Mens J16 2X Y Xie 14:26.6 148.04
100 221 Portadown Womens Club 1 2X A Martin 14:27.3 148.16
101 185 Portadown Womens J18A 4X- K McCann 14:44.7 151.12
102 159 Methodist Mens J15 4X+ H Adams 14:44.7 151.13
103 166 Belfast RC Womens Club 1 4+ M Cheung 14:46.8 151.48
104 165 Yarm School Mens Club 1 1X A McAllister 14:52.4 152.45
105 142 C of Derry Mens J18A 1X C Baldwin 14:54.8 152.86
106 216 Portadown Womens J15 4X+ R Pinkerton 14:57.3 153.27
107 213 Methodist Womens J16 4X+ M Cawley 15:01.4 153.99
108 210 C of Derry (g ) Mens Masters 2X D Doherty 15:01.7 154.03
109 179 Yarm School Mens J14 4X+ S Graham 15:16.9 156.62
110 214 Belfast RC Womens J16 4X+ S Smith 15:22.1 157.52
111 154 QUBLBC B Womens Intermediate 4+ V Wallace 15:31.3 159.09
112 140 Portadown Mens J18A 1X D Murtagh 15:38.4 160.30
113 231 Portora A Womens J14 4X+ D Duffy 15:46.3 161.65
114 198 C of Derry (d ) Womens Masters 2X N-W Loughlin 15:49.1 162.14
115 219 QUBLBC A Womens Club 1 2X A Foster 16:05.0 164.85
116 230 Portora B Womens J14 4X+ L Bothwell 16:27.9 168.75
117 207 Belfast BC (c ) Mens Masters 2X M Wreathall 16:55.0 173.39
118 234 C of Derry Mens Senior 1X K Doherty 17:18.9 177.46
104 St Josephs B Mens Intermediate 4+ C Finnegan
111 Neptune Mens Senior 2X K Coughlan
119 Belfast RC Mens J16 4X+ B McCaughtry
122 Commercial Mens Intermediate 1X S Connolly
135 DUBC Mens Novice 4+ L Arnold
137 St Josephs Mens J15 8+ B Holland
145 Galway (d ) Mens Masters 4X+ C Moloney
163 DUBC Mens Club 1 1X N Rawlinson
168 DULBC Womens Club 1 4+ C O'Donnell
177 QUBLBC B Womens Senior 2- E Holmes
187 Neptune Womens J18A 2X A Clark
197 Portadown (c) Womens Masters 1X S Laivina
209 Belfast BC (h) Mens Masters 1X H Coppinger
220 Yarm School Womens Club 1 2X E Atherton
229 Yarm School Womens J14 4X+ F Wilmot
233 Portora Womens Club 1 1X A Beacom
Lagan Head of the River 2016 by Belfast Rowing Club

Anyone aged between 16 and 28 who would like to sail aboard a Tall Ship is being offered the opportunity by Belfast City Council and Sail Training Ireland. As Afloat.ie previously reported, The Tall Ships, “Maybe” and “Morgenster” are the vessels on which voyages between Belfast, Scottish and Irish ports, will be available, as part of Belfast’s Maritime Festival. Applications are invited with a deadline of Friday, March 25.

#Rowing: Philip Doyle of Queen’s University won the battle of the senior single scullers at the Lagan Scullers’ Head of the River in Belfast. He had just over 17 seconds to spare over Portadown’s Sam McKeown. The fastest crew on the day was the Queen’s University senior men’s quadruple. The event was run in strong winds, but coming from the east, they did not prove to be seriously disruptive. The organisers were pleased that the Ireland under-23 women's group took part and that some junior scullers could compete, as their trials had been cancelled.

Lagan Scullers’ Head of the River, Belfast, Saturday (Selected Results):

Race One

Overall: 1 Queen’s Univ (P Doyle, senior single sculls) 11 minutes 56.2 seconds. 2 Portadown (S McKeown, senior single) 12:13.3, 3 Queen’s (T Oliver, senior single) 12:15.9.

Men – Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 15, coxed: Portora 12:40.5

Double – Jun 16: Portora 13:04. Masters: City of Derry 13:29.8. 

Single – Senior: Queen’s (Doyle) 11:56.2. Jun 18A: Methody (C Macrae) 12:47.2

Women – Sculling – Quadruple – Masters: Lagan Scullers/Belfast BC 15:01.8. 

Double – Jun 18A: Bann 12:55.8.

Single – Intermediate: Belfast BC (O Blundell) 14:09.3. Club Two:  Queen’s (R Brown) 15:01.1. Jun 16: Belfast RC (A Hall) 16:05.8.

Race Two

Overall: 1  Queen’s men’s senior quadruple (Roy) 10:43.6, 2 RBAI men’s sen quad 11:14.1, 3 Queen’s men’s sen quad (Evans) 11:31.0.

Men – Sculling, Quadruple – Senior: Queen’s (Roy) 10.43.6. Jun 16, coxed: Methody 11:56.5.

Double – Jun 18A: Bann 11:51.

Single – Intermediate: Portora (C Laughlin) 12:33.7. Club Two: Belfast RC (T McCaughtry) 12:51.4. Novice: RBAI (T Lyons) 14:57.3. Jun 15: Portora (O Donaghy) 13:59.4.

Women – Quadruple – Jun 16, coxed: Portora 13:44.4. Jun 15, coxed: Bann 14:10.8.

Double – Seniors: Fermoy/Belfast BC 12:53.7.

Single – Jun 18A: Bann (H Scott) 13:45.2. Masters: Belfast BC (U Purdy) 15:15.6.

Race Three

Overall: 1 Methody junior 18A quadruple 10:43.1, 2 Queen’s senior double 10:57.4, 3 Belfast BC, Portadown 11:18.4.

Men, Quadruple – Jun 18A: Methody 10:43.1. Jun 18B, coxed: Methody 12:18.5. 

Double – Senior: Queen’s 10:57.4.

Single – Jun 16: Portora (N Timoney) 13:40.1. Masters: Portora (D Murphy) 13:40.8. 

Women, Quadruple – Jun 18A: Methody 12:48.6

Double – Jun 16: Bann 14:50.9.

Mixed Quad – Portadown 13:40.2.

#Belfast - Fans of the recently knighted Sir Van Morrison are mounting a campaign to have a new river bridge in East Belfast named in his honour, as the Belfast Telegraph reports.

The musician grew up close to where a series of new bridge crossings are planned as part of a greenway development in Orangefield along the Connswater, Knock and Loop waterways.

And the first of these, a bridge between Victoria Park and the adjacent Harbour Estate, was already named by popular vote as the Sam Thompson Bridge after the late playwright.

That's prompted fans of 'Van the Man' to call on officials behind the Connswater Greenway scheme to honour the Belfast legend's contributions to music the world over with a bridge in his name, or named after one of his famous songs such as 'Astral Weeks' and 'Moondance'.

The Belfast Telegraph has more on the story HERE.

#Rescue - Lagan Search and Rescue's RIB is set to return to action this weekend after a crowdfunding campaign helped fund repairs, according to BelfastLive.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the rescue boat for the Belfast area was forced out of service after vandals pulled a hydraulic ram out of its steering system, causing damage that was "both labour intensive and costly".

But after a crowdfunding effort raised nearly £900 (€1,176) – including a single £500 (€653) contribution – the necessary repairs were made this week, with only stress tests remaining before the Atlantic 21 lifeboat can return to the water.

BelfastLive has more on the story HERE.

#Rescue - Lagan Search and Rescue's RIB has been forced out of service after its motor was vandalised, as BelfastLive reports.

Over the weekend team members found that a hydraulic ram had been pulled out of the steering system of the the Atlantic 21 lifeboat, which covers the Belfast area and was docked in a secure marina at the time.

What's more, with the vandals' additional damage to the boat, getting it ready to return to the water will be "both labour intensive and costly", according to a spokesperson for the rescue service.

BelfastLive has more on the story HERE.

Work has been carried out at the UK Government–funded search and rescue coordination centre to upgrade the technology and introduce new systems. This means Belfast CGOC will be connected to the National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) in Hampshire and other Coastguard stations around the country, which will be able to offer mutual support during busy periods.

#rowingworldmasters – Ireland had an impressive set of wins at the World Masters Regatta, the four-day event which finished today in Hazewinkel in Belgium. There was a notable win in the men’s eight in the E category (average age 55 or more) where the Irish crew beat one of Russia’s best clubs, Dynamo Moscow, by less than a canvas - .31 of a second. The strokeman of the Russian crew, Vitali Eliseev, stroked the World Championship-winning four in 1981. The Irish crew was a composite of Old Collegians, Belfast Boat Club, Neptune, Waterford and Commercial. Denis Crowley – who was in the eight – won single sculls races in three different age categories. 

The Irish composite which beat Dynamo Moscow at the World Masters Regatta

World Masters Rowing Regatta, Hazewinkel, Belgium (Ireland Wins):

Men – Eight, E (Average 55 yrs or more): Old Collegians, Belfast BC, Neptune, Waterford, Commercial (John Hudson, Denis Crowley, Gerard Murphy, Michael Heavey, Colin Dickson, Colin Hunter, Francis O’Toole, Donal McGuinness, Al Penkert) 3 min 11.13 (1,000m)

Four, coxed, E (Average 55 yrs or more): Commercial, Belfast, Old Collegians, Waterford. Pair, E: Belfast BC. Pair, D (Avg 50+): Commercial. Pair, F (Avg 60+): Cappoquin.

Sculling – Double, F (Avg 60+): Carlow, Athlone. Single: B (36+), C (43+) and D (50+): Commercial (D Crowley). C (43+): Galway RC (S Heaney). 

Women – Sculling, Single, A (27+): Three Castles (B Quinn).