ROWING/Henley Royal Regatta: An exceptionally good day for the Irish at Henley Royal Regatta yesterday boasted a surprise - but well merited - win for Garda's coxed four over Cambridge University and wins for eights from Neptune, UCD and Queen's University.
Garda's two-length win in the Britannia for coxed fours bucked the odds, but bowman Kenny McDonald said the crew had been "quietly confident" before the race, despite facing such esteemed opposition.
"I knew three strokes into the race they weren't going to beat us," McDonald added. Indeed the good start set up the Irish crew, and they opened a quarter-length lead and were able to "relax" and keep Cambridge at bay, said McDonald.
The victory sets up an all-Irish clash today, as NUIG A will now take on Garda. The unfortunate draw pitted NUIG A against the college's B crew, and the A crew came through, but only by half a length.
NUIG beat Garda the last time they met, at Athlone regatta last month.
Neptune had their expected win in the Thames Cup for club eights, comfortably seeing off Agecroft, but Commercial fell to a formidable-looking Hamberger Ruderklub crew from Germany in the same event.
Mark Pollock's fairytale return to the sport continued, with Lady Elizabeth's one-length win in the Wyfold for coxless fours. The blind oarsman is surely unique in that he is competing at the very top level and stroking the crew. Galway and Belfast also won in the Wyfold.
Trinity's defeat by University of London in the the Temple Cup for college eights had yielded one Irish exit on the day, but good wins for both UCD, who had two lengths to spare over Grand Valley State University of the US, and Queen's University ensured that the Irish will have a good representation today in this prestigious event.
Also in action today, for the first time in this year's Henley, are the double scull of Neal and Owen Byrne and single sculler Becky Quinn in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup.
Meanwhile, the Ireland team for the World Cup regatta in Lucerne the weekend after next (July 12th to 14th) contains a number of under-23 crews, the most surprising inclusion being the lightweight men's pair of Dave Mannion and Herbert Griffin, getting their first outing.
Lightweight single scullers Timmy Harnedy and Alison Downey are also part of the under-23 group, which will remain on the continent and take part in the world under-23 championships in Genoa the following week. They will be joined by the new men's under-23 heavyweight four.
HENLEY (Irish interest) - Thames (Club eights): Neptune bt Agecroft 3½l; Hamberger Ruderklub (Germany) bt Commercial.
Temple (College eights): University of London bt Trinity College, Dublin, 3l, 6.42; Queen's University bt Hautes Études & É.C. Paris, 4l, 6.46; UCD bt Grand Valley State Univ, USA, 2l, 7.06.
Princess Elizabeth (Schools eight): Coleraine bt Yarm School
Wyfold (coxless fours, club): Galway bt Upper Thames, 1¾l, 7.03; Belfast bt Star Club, 2l, 7.16; Lady Elizabeth bt Hereford, 1l, 7.11.
Britannia (coxed fours, club and college): NUIG A bt NUIG B ½l 7.45; Colgate University, USA bt Athlone 1¾l, 7.45; Garda Síochána bt Cambridge University 2l 7.28
IRELAND TEAM for World Cup in Lucerne, July 12th to 14th: Men, Lightweight Four: P Griffin, R Archibald, D Holland, N Casey. Lightweight Pair: G Towey, T O'Connor; D Mannion, H Griffin. Single Scull: S Lynch; T Harnedy. Women, Lightweight Double Scull: H Boyle, S Jennings. Lightweight Single Scull: A Downey.
