ROWING: UCD pulled off one of the biggest shocks in rowing in years when they won the Pembroke Cup for senior men's eights at the Metropolitan regatta at Blessington on Saturday.
Facing a Neptune A crew which included world champions Tony O'Connor and Gearóid Towey and the pick of the rest of the club's considerable talents, an eight which included a novice - number six man Ian Feeley - took command early and led all the way for a fine victory, judged at ¾ of a length, in blazing sunshine. NUIG were third.
Much of the credit was directed towards UCD coach John Holland, who in turn reflected it back to his young, but physically imposing charges: "They had a magnificent row; there is nothing I can criticise about their rowing," said the longtime Neptune man, whose son, Derek, was in the Neptune boat.
In the women's senior eights, NUIG picked up their first win of the season in similarly emphatic style, upping the rate over the final few hundred metres to ensure a 1¼ length win from a Skibbereen/Muckross composite, with Neptune third.
As ever with the club everyone likes to beat, there were compensations for Neptune: Neil Casey won his first Eblana trophy for his win in the men's senior single sculls, and Neptune's A coxed four again mastered the opposition in the Grand Challenge Cup.
All five rowers involved may find their focus firmly trained on the faltering eight as the club focuses on a top-class performance in the Ladies Plate at Henley. Whether they knew it or not one of the later races on the day contained a fascinating link of its own to the famed English venue.
Vesper of Philadelphia competed in the invitation eight on Saturday with Jack B Kelly in the number six seat. The son of another Jack B, known as "Kell", who won the Diamond Sculls at Henley in 1947, and grandson of the Jack B, who famously was denied entry to Henley but went on to win twice at the Olympics, the present Jack B is on his first visit to Ireland.
The quiet-spoken investment banker made no reference to his most famous relative, Princess Grace, although happily talking of his father and grandfather's rowing history. Vesper won the invitation eights on the day.
