UCD beat Trinity by three-quarters of a length in a surprisingly close final of the women’s senior eight at Trinity Regatta today.
Racing into a headwind in otherwise beautiful, sunny conditions, Trinity took advantage of the north station and carved out an early lead. UCD came back and took the lead. But they were headed again before the women in St Patrick’s Blue and Saffron eventually took control near the end (picture above). In the Corcoran Cup in March, UCD were convincing winners.
The men’s senior eight was more of a formality, as Trinity beat the visitors, Ruderverein Erlangen from Leiden in the Netherlands.
As has been the pattern this season, the regatta drew mostly young crews – but from a wide collection of clubs. Sligo, the University of Limerick, Enniskillen, Coleraine GS, Graiguenamanagh and Belfast were among the clubs basking in the sunshine on day when there were sometimes long breaks between races.
Neptune raided from closer on the northside with repeated success: Elaine Power and Niamh Kilgallon (below) were impressive winners in the women’s senior double; Sligo beat women in green in black in the women’s junior 16 coxed quad (further below). Commercial won the women’s club eight easily, while Blackrock beat Neptune in the men’s junior 16 eight.
Commercial had an excellent run in the last set of finals. They beat Trinity A by two and a half lengths in the men’s club eights and also won the women’s club coxed four, the women’s junior 18 coxed quad and the senior and intermediate men’s single sculls. Neptune, who won the men’s junior 18 single, and Trinity also added to their tallies. The host club won the men’s intermediate coxed four.
