ERBC rowers compete at prestigious Schools’ Head

OVER 60 rowers and many coaches and parents from Enniskillen Royal Boat Club made their way to London for the most prestigious Head of the river race in these islands - the Schools’ Head of the River rowed over the famous 6km Championship course from Mortlake to Putney.

This was the club’s biggest entry ever.

The crews arrived on the Tuesday evening ready to do battle on Wednesday.

The coxes were taken over the course by motor launch before the race to ensure they knew exactly where the flow was.

A last minute switch of venue for the Junior 15 crews because of the expected strong current meant that they had to move up to Dorney to row on the safer Olympic course over approximately 4km.

They acquitted themselves well and were 15th out of 33 crews in the

boys event and 7th out of 18 in the girls.

Cillian Donaghy and Tori Davis were the strokes of these crews and steered by Cameron Bell and Joel Crean respectively.

On the Tideway the Junior 18 boys and girls came 15th and 10th respectively out of a huge field of crews.

Stroke of the boys was Evan Donaghy and cox Katelyn Fee.

The girls were led strongly by young Zara Welsh and coxed by Jessica Thompson.

The conditions were unusually benign but the flow was very strong and the crews from the Erne were well able to handle them.

The J16 boys and girls were

10th respectively out of the usual large entries.

The J16 boys had a stormer of a race much improved from their Erne Head result.

Strokes of these crews were Christian Timoney and Erin Trimble and coxes Errie Powell and Rachael Cathcart.

ERBC also had a second J18 crew for the first time which finished 12th.

William Bogle led from the front in this crew and cox Abbey Wilson steered competently.

Attention now turns to domestic Irish regattas and side by side racing in Dublin on in the coming weeks.

Schools’ Head