Lightweight single sculler Cathal Moynihan and the the under-23 lightweight pair of Anthony English and Peter Hanily both advanced to today’s round of the Wedau Regatta in Duisburg in Germany yesterday. The men’s pair of Sean Jacob and Cormac Folan could only finish sixth in their heat and must wait until Sunday to compete again.

Wedau Regatta, Duisburg, Day One (Selected Results)

Men, Pair - Heat Three: 6 S Jacob, C Folan 7:06.77.

Under-23 Lightweight Pair – Heat Two: 2 A English, P Hanily 7:26.40.

Lightweight Single Scull: Heat One 3 C Moynihan 7:47.38.

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The first Irish man to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean has spoken of his fears that some one will be killed on the challenge which he says was "horrific". After spending 118 days at sea Limerick man Seán McGowan was honoured with a mayoral reception in his native city last night Kathryn Hayes has the full story on the Woodvale Ocean Rowing Race in the Irish Times. Click read more for the story link.

Sean McGowan reached land in Antigua May 1 to become the first Irish-based oarsman to row across an ocean. The 42-year-old from Shannon Rowing Club crossed the Atlantic in 118 days one hour and 14 minutes. He had rowed out of La Gomera in the Canary Islands on January 4th.

Solo rower warns against 'horrific' Atlantic challenge

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A new initiative to get schoolkids rowing will pit schools against each other online in virtual rowing competitions.

Rowing Ireland’s ‘Get Going, Get Rowing’ initiative is underway and has already brought several schools into contact with the sport. The first phase of the programme gets children rowing on machines and competing online, and hopes to assist them to make the transition onto the water.

Rowing Ireland’s Development Officer, Lisa Hayden explained that they hope to set up a schools league using the online rowpro software, where 16 'boats' can compete online.
She said the experience is 'like a Nintendo Wii, but it's not just giving the illusion of exercise, it's real exercise'.
“The 'Get Going...Get Rowing' initiative is about getting as many young people active as possible through the use of rowing machines, known as ergometers. There are different incentives and lesson plans devised to ensure that it never gets boring. The initiative gives students the opportunity to experience on of Ireland's most successful Olympic sports.
"It is important to the growth of the sport, and getting students, particularly girls, involved at this age is critical if they are to remain active for the rest of their lives.”

The programme will then join with clubs like the Dublin Municipal Rowing Centre, run by Dublin City Council, to transfer rowing enthusiasm into boats on the river.

GET GOING...GET ROWING ON FACEBOOK

DUBLIN MUNICIPAL ROWING CENTRE

ROWING IRELAND

Claire Cooney and Ruth Morris of Commercial led the way for Ireland at the KRSG regatta in Ghent, Belgium. They were the fastest junior women’s pair on both Saturday and Sunday. Cork’s Marie O’Neill took gold on Saturday and silver yesterday in the senior single scull. Adrian Sheehan of Castleconnell was an impressive second yesterday in the junior 18 single scull.

 KRSG Regatta, Ghent, Belgium (Selected Results)

Saturday

Men, Eight – Junior: 1 France 6:00.0, 2 Abingdon School (Britain)  6:01.50, 3 St Joseph’s 6:18.15.

Four – Junior: 4 St Joseph’s 6:44.60. Junior, coxed: 2 St Joseph’s 7:17.53.

Sculling, Single – Junior: 6 Castleconnell (A Sheehan) 7:44.76.

Women, Eight – Junior: 1 France 6:51.88, 2 Methody, Belfast 7:26.56.

Four – Senior: 3 Commercial 7:24.72. Junior: 2 Commercial 7:42.93, 3 Cork 7:54.81.

Pair – Junior: 1 Commercial (C Cooney, R Morris) 8:22.56.

Sculling, Single – Senior: 1 Cork (M O’Neill) 8:08.79,

Sunday

Men,

Eight – Junior 18: 3 St Joseph’s 6:24.28. Junior 16: 2 St Joseph’s 6:53.78.

Four – Junior: 5 St Joseph’s 7:06.88. Four, coxed: 1 France 6:42.94, 2 St Joseph’s 7:17.53.

Sculling, Double – Junior: 4 Castleconnell (A Sheehan, E O’Connor)  7:15.91.

Single – Junior 18: 1 France 7:38.22, 2 Castleconnell (Sheehan) 7:39.02

Women

Eight – Junior: 1 France 7:01.75, 2 Commercial 7:39.81, 3 Methody 7:44.56.

Four – Junior: 3 Commercial 7:45.53.

Pair – Junior: 1 Commercial (Cooney, Morris) 8:29.38; 4 Cork (Fehily, L Murphy) 8:40.04.

Sculling, Double – Senior: 3 Offaly (J Moran, E Moran) 7:46.03. Junior 18: 6 Cork (G Collins, N Fehilly) 8:18.44

Single – Senior: 2 Cork (M O’Neill) 8:24.44.

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Sean McGowan reached land in Antigua yesterday to become the first Irish-based oarsman to row across an ocean. The 42-year-old from Shannon Rowing Club crossed the Atlantic in 118 days one hour and 14 minutes. He had rowed out of La Gomera in the Canary Islands on January 4th.

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Queen’s University pulled off a spectacular double at the British University Championships (Bucs) at Nottingham. The college won the Championship eights and the intermediate eights on Saturday, with good margins over second-placed Oxford Brookes in both cases. Irish adaptive crews also had good results at the Gavirate International Regatta in Italy, with the mixed coxed four taking silver on both days.

British University Championships, Nottingham (Selected Results):

Championship Eight: 1 Queen’s University, Belfast 5 min 58.22 sec; 2 Oxford Brookes 6:01.77, 3 Bristol 6:16.03.

Intermediate Eight: 1 Queen’s 5:44.52, 2 Oxford Brookes 5:46.79, 3 Durham 5:49.85.
Portadown Regatta, Saturday (Finals):

Eight – Junior 18: Methody bt RBAI 1/3 l. Junior 16: Portora bt Coleraine AI ½ l. Masters: Belfast RC bt Bann ¼ l.

Four – Junior 18, coxed: RBAI bt Coleraine AI 1 ½ l.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Bann easily. Junior 18: Methody bt Portadown 3l. Junior 16, coxed: Bann A bt Bann B 2l.

Double – Novice: Carrick-on-Shannon B bt Carrick-on-Shannon A canvas. Junior 18: Carrick-on-Shannon bt RBAI 3l. Junior 16: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Bann 2l. Masters: Belfast BC (F) bt Bann RC (D) easily

Single – Senior: Portadown (McIlveen) bt Lagan Scullers (Rankin) easily. Intermediate: Portadown (Hanna) bt Lagan Scullers (Rankin) easily. Novice: Portadown (Hanna) bt Carrick-on-Shannon (Little) 1 ½ l. Junior 18:  RBAI (Beck) bt Carrick-on-Shannon (Cox) 3l. Junior 16: Carrick-on-Shannon (Aherne) bt Carrick-on-Shannon (Keaveney) 2 ½ l. Masters: Bann (Hamilton) bt Belfast BC (Gray) easily.

Women, Eight – Junior 18, Invitational: Portora bt Methody/Portadown 3l.

Four – Novice, coxed: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Queen’s easily.

Sculling, Quadruple – Novice, coxed: Carrick-on-Shannon bt Belfast RC easily. Junior 16, coxed: Portora bt Methody easily.

Double – Junior 18: Portadown A bt Portadown B ½ l. Junior 16: Portadown bt Carrick-on-Shannon 2 ½ l.

Single – Junior 18: Portadown (Toal) bt Portadown (Lindsay) easily.

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Dublin rowing clubs Neptune and Commercial sit at the top of the new Rowing Ireland Grand League table following the Queen’s regatta in County Down.

The leading clubs after the second regatta are:

Neptune 219 points, Commercial 206, Skibbereen 192 points, UCD 171 pts, St. Michaels 150, Portora 117, Carrick on Shannon 102.

St Michaels, Limerick lead the men's senior category on 87 points, just one point ahead of Commercial on 86 points with UCD a close third on 81 points.  UCD on 90 points now lead the women’s senior category ahead of Dublin University Ladies Boat Club on 56 points.

Skibbereen RC remain top of the junior men category closely followed by Dublin’s Neptune on 69 with Portora, Enniskillen and Neptune, Dublin topping the junior women on 63 and 62 points respectively.

Neptune, Dublin also lead in the overall best performing club category.

For full tables go to results at http://iaru.ie/main.php

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Brenda Ewing has been chosen as the Afloat Rower of the Month for April. In its two outings so far, at Skibbereen and Queen’s regattas, the Grand League series has been an outstanding success. Ewing, along with Pat McInerney and Mark Pattison, brought this radical idea to life and have worked tirelessly behind the scenes. She is honoured for this achievement.

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 who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to rowing during 2010. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2010 champions list grow.

Listen to the Podcast with Brenda Ewing below.

Queen's University filled the top two places in the eights final at their own regatta in Castlewellan on Saturday. Their senior A and senior B crews came in ahead of Neptune's intermediates and two junior crews, from Bann and Portora. Senior crews from St Michael's and Commercial did not make the A Final. The women's eight final also showed how junior crews thrive in the new Grand League format, with Portora relegating UCD's senior women to second place.

Queen's University Regatta, Castlewellan, Saturday
Men, Eight: 1 Queen's A (sen) (W Howell, G Meek, E Mac Domhnaill, A
Mohammed, C Coyle, J Graham, M Butler, J Mitchell; cox: H Rhys-Davies)
4:09.24, 2 Queen's B (sen) 4:14.92, 3 Neptune (inter) 4:17.40, 4 Bann
(jun) 4:22.65. B Final: St Michael's 5:05.19. Novice, Junior: 1 UCD
(nov) 5:01.47, 2 Commercial (nov) 5:12.45, 3 UCD (nov) 5:14.11, 4 St
Joseph's (jun 16) 5:16.81. Masters: 1 Belfast RC (men); 4 Belfast RC
(women)
Four: 1 Galway (sen) 5:09.60, 2 Queen's 5:12.26 (sen), 3 Garda (sen)
5:23.24. Four, coxed: 1 Galway RC (inter) 5:10.97, 2 Neptune (inter)
5:12.65, 3 St Michael's (senior), 4 Portora (jun) 5:16.81. Masters:
City of Derry (men); 3 Belfast RC. Novice, Junior: 1 Queen's A (nov)
5:50.29, 2 Commercial (nov) 5:52.92, 3 Garda 6:03.32, 4 Bann (jun 16)
6:06.32, 5 Neptune (jun) 6:03.99. B Final: UCD (nov) 5:55.60.
Pair: 1 St Michael's (S Lynch, K O'Connor; sen) 5:34.06, 2 Bann A
(jun) 5:40.59, 3 Bann B (jun) 5:44.35.
Sculling – Quadruple: 1 Queen's (sen) 5:11.65, 2 Neptune (jun)
5:19.69, 3 Portadown (sen) 5:34.65. Novice, Junior: 1 Commercial (jun)
6:40.93, 2 Carrick-on-Shannon (nov) 6:48.70, 3 Bann (jun 16) 6:56.26.
B Final: Methodist (jun 16) 6:18.72. C Final: Bann (nov) 6:30.42.
Double: 1 St Michael's (S Lynch, K O'Connor; sen), 2 Commercial (sen)
5:39.71, 3 Carrick-on-Shannon (jun) 5:57.94; 5 City of Derry (inter)
6:13.94. B Final: Portora (jun) 7:05.17. Novice, Junior: 1 Commercial
(jun 16) 6:04.13, 2 Athone (jun 16) 6:08.58, 3 Carrick-on-Shannon (jun
16) 6:15.82; 5 Coleraine AI (jun) 6:18.16. B Final: Athlunkard (jun)
6:21.85; 3 Carrick-on-Shannon (nov) 6:37.35. C Final: Belfast RC (jun)
6:35.97.
Single: 1 City of Derry (D Donaghy, sen) 5:43.97, 2 Garda (Duane, sen)
5:49.21, 3 Belfast BC (Darby, lightweight) 5:55.03, 4 Commercial
(Folan, inter) 5:56.11; 6 Carrick-on-Shannon (Cox, jun) 5:59.00.
Novice, Junior: 1 Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (Marron, nov)
6:02.64, 2 Carrick-on-Shannon A (Aherne, jun 16) 6:10.41, 3 Neptune
(O'Hara, jun).
Women
Eight: 1 Portora (junior) (L Dempster, A McCann, M Henry, AM Maguire,
A Hamilton, H Nixon, J Russell, K Cromie; cox: C St Ledger) 5:23.24, 2
UCD (sen) 5:28.50, 3 Commercial (junior) 5:40.73. Novice, Junior: 1
Queen's (nov) 5:47.40, 2 UCD (nov) 5:47.86, 3 Methodist (jun) 5:54.82,
4 Portora (jun 16) 6:18.12.
Four: 1 UCD (sen) 6:02.64, 2 Commercial (sen) 6:06.91, 3 Portora (jun)
6:11.88. Four, coxed: 1 UCD (inter) 5:48.92, 2 Queen's (inter)
6:06.01, 3 Commercial 6:12.81. Novice, Junior: 1 Queen's (nov)
5:57.37, 2 UCD (nov) 6:03.12, 3 Portora (jun 16).
Pair: 1 Neptune (sen) 6:44.68, 2 Portora (jun) 6:58.97.
Sculling
Quadruple: 1 Portora (jun) 5:39.04, 2 Bann (jun) 5:49.53, 3 Neptune
(jun) 6:01.62. Novice, Junior: 1 Neptune (jun 16) 6:01.79, 2
Killorglin (jun 16) 6:05.57, 3 Galway RC 6:25.06; 5 Carrick-on-Shannon
(nov) 6:48.93.
Double: 1 City of Derry (inter) 6:04.64, 2 Neptune (inter) 6:11.33, 3
Belfast RC 6:16.98, 4 Bann (jun) 6:31.51.
Novice, Junior: 1 Garda (nov) 6:43.73, 2 Neptune (jun 16) 6:52.00, 3
Portadown (jun 16) 7:15.34.
Single: 1 Killorglin (M Dukarska; inter) 6:35.20, 2 Commercial (Quinn;
lightweight) 6:49.11, 3 Belfast (Beringer, inter) 7:04.70.B Final:
Belfast RC (Duncan, inter) 7:13.69, 2 Neptune (McEneff, jun) 7:22.73.
Novice, Junior: 1 Killorglin (Crowley; jun 16) 7:26.80, 2 Neptune
(Byrne, jun 16) 7:32.75, 3 St Michael's (O'Sullivan) 7:33.71. B Final:
St Michael's (jun) 7:45.66.

Up to eight hundred rowers from twenty eight clubs will compete in Rowing Ireland’s second Grand League Regatta which takes place next Saturday at the Queen's Regatta in Castlewellan , Co Down. The leading clubs after the first Grand League Regatta of the season, which was held at the National Rowing Centre in Cork two weeks ago are:

 
Skibbereen 192 points, UCD 96 pts, Lee Rowing Club, Cork 86 pts and Commercial RC Dublin 75pts.
.
UCD lead the Men's Senior Category ahead of Commercial, while Dublin University Ladies Boat Club lead the Women's Senior Category over NUI Galway.
 
Cork Clubs dominate the junior ranking with Skibbereen RC on top in both Junior Men’s and Women’s categories.
 
In the Junior Women,  Skibbereen RC lead Shandon BC with Presentation College BC holding down the number two spot in the Junior Men’s category.
 
Rowing Ireland spokesperson, Pat McInerney said, “The top senior men’s race this weekend sees Queens up against UCD, Commercial, St Michaels, Neptune and several junior crews including the Bann juniors who placed very well at the recent London schools head.”

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