Sligo crews back in action
Friday February 12 2010
Sligo Rowing kicked off their2010 competitive rowing seasonwith a 5KM time trial at theCarrick on Shannon Head ofthe River.
The Sligo crews, whohad wintered well over therecent months, getting out onthe water most weekends(except of course when theriver had frozen over!) were alllooking forward to their firstcompetitive event of theseason.
Taking the water were thewomen’s novice quad and amen’s Junior 18 double. Thedouble consisting of RobertButler and John McGurrin putin a good time over the 5KMcourse. Coaches MoluaDonohue and Tommie Colshhad much to be happy aboutwith the crew’s performanceparticularly in light of the factthat this double has anotheryear at the J18 grade. Nextcrew home for Sligo was thewomen’s novice coxed quadwho as they approached thefinal stretch entered into athree boat tussle for the lead.
Coach Peter Osborne can beproud of his young crew’sperformance as they shouldexperience beyond their yearsas they responded to the cheersfrom the enclosure. Expertlystroked by Sinead Glynn andwith Ali Leonard , NiamhMooney and CarolineMcGowan in the three , two &bow seats respectively the crewclinically implemented thestrategy as laid out by theircoach packing plenty of"punch" in the water at asteady rate all the way downthe course.
Three Sligo boatsparticipated in the afternoonhead with a coxed men’snovice quad, a J18 sculler, andthe brave young women’snovice quad again taking tothe water but this time in acoxless four. To their credit allthree boats put in sterlingperformances with the men’snovice quad engaging in a twoboat tussle over the last 1Kmwith a strong City of Derryfour only to be pipped at theenclosure in an exciting finish.
Sligo Rowing Club will beholding their own Head of theRiver event over a 3500 metrecourse down the GaravogueRiver on Saturday, March 6th,where it is hoped that as wellas the Olympic style rowingsome traditional fixed seatskiff boats from the variousclubs around Lough Gill willparticipate.
