Last weekend saw the most recent grand league regatta take place in Mohill, Co. Leitrim on Lough Rinn. The event, hosted by the Connaught branch of Rowing Ireland, takes place on one of the best laid rowing courses in Europe. The sun was out but unfortunately the wind came with it. A nice tail wind in the morning from 500m onward, and a pretty strong tail wind making conditions challenging for some in the afternoon. Here I take a look at Lough Rinn regatta and crews to watch.
Men's J16 8+
It's a little early to call for certain yet but true to form, Enniskillen are leading the charge in this category with a decisive victory in Lough Rinn (semi time: 6:27.2; final time 6:32.5). Its worth noting that some clubs like Castleconnel were away at Ghent Regatta, Belgium, this weekend so lets not forget them and others for future races. Castleconnel produced last years Championship winning MJ16 8+.
One of the stand out performances across this category from semi final to final was from Galway Rowing Club's J16 8+. In their semi (6:41.4) they came last but their time (and race slots) managed to secure them a spot in the final. Surprisingly they placed second in their final with a time of 6:44.9. With tougher conditions and lingering fatigue from the mornings race, its a very respectable turn around.
Perhaps more surprising is the drop in performance from the Bish (St. Josephs Rowing Club) who went from a semifinal second place finish of 6:27.9 almost beating Enniskillen, down to a 6:46.1 in the final. This is a pretty significant drop in performance from a crew competing at this level. They left the door wide open for GRC to take 2nd place. So the question is, will the Bish leave the door open again? Or will this event spur GRC to move the boat even faster? I especially look forward to GRC's progress as one of my clients who are entering a power dominant block of training. Either way, it will make for great local rivalry in Galway, and no doubt and excellent Championship event in July.
The next time these crews meet will likely be at the 140th Galway Regatta on May 31st, 2025.