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UCD Boat Club |
UCDBC News Archive08 - 09 Season:Home Internationals, July: Irish National Championships, July: In poor weather conditions the Womens Intermediate 8+ faced a 7-boat straight final in the early afternoon on Saturday. The race began strongly with Trinity, NUIG, Galway RC, UCD and UL all making strong starts. Galway took an early lead but it was short lived as steadily the universities began to edge away. The field slowly inched away from Commercial and Galway and the battle of the universities was on. With Trinity on the outside who were form favourites to lift the Championship, the three universities could not afford to allow Trinity to paddle away uncontested and so UCD pushed to lead into the 1000 meter mark. With half the race over it was a matter of sustaining the challenges from UL and keeping an eye on a strong Trinity crew. With 700 meters to go, UCD made a push to cement their lead and open up the gap against a strong UL crew who were determined not to drop and Trinity who were sitting in third position. In the last 500 meters challenges were sustained, conditions were dealt with and UCD roared over the line to make it two years in a row for the UCD Ladies winning the Intermediate Championship.
The following day the ladies would go one step further in winning the Intermediate 4+. UCD were the last crew to qualify from their heat on Saturday afternoon. Despite this the crew were confident that they had another gear in them and believed they could add to the final. Off the start in the final it became a battle between Tribesmen Rowing Club and UCD. Though Trinity and UL stayed competitive on the other side of the field, UCD were aware that beating Tribesmen Rowing Club was key. Trailing in second place through the 500 meter mark, UCD maintained consistent pressure and denied Tribesmen the comfort of a full boat length lead. With a strong push, UCD then moved forward breaking Tribesmen and achieving the lead with 700 meters to go, crossing the line with clear water over the rest of the field. The ladies would also like to thank Pat Gannon for his encouragement, advice and assistance during the year. Last but by no means least the club would like to thank Mr. Martin Feeley for his committment to the ladies cause this year. It was a tough job to take on and he was very brave to do it. It could not be done without him and the effect he had on the club in such a short space of time will forever be commemorated by this grand achievement. UCD Sports Achievement Awards:
Henley Royal Regatta - Friday: Irish interest: Prince of Wales: Old Collegians/London vs. Leander Club, Visitors: NUIG vs. Isis BC, Britannia: Fermoy RC vs Agecroft RC. Further information on the draw is available from the regatta website www.hrr.co.uk Henley Royal Regatta - Thursday:
Irish interest: Temple: UCD 'A' vs. Princeton University USA, Thames: Commercial RC vs. Molesey BC, Visitors: NUIG vs. New York & Camp Randall USA, Prince of Wales: Old Collegians/London vs. Sir William Borlase's & King's Ely, Britannia: Fermoy RC vs Glasgow RC, Diamonds: Mannion vs. Campbell. Further information on the draw is available from the regatta website www.hrr.co.uk Henley Royal Regatta - Wednesday: Irish interest: Temple: Queen's Belfast vs. Brown University USA, Thames: Commercial RC vs. Cantabridgian RC, Galway RC vs. Moseley BC, Visitors: Galway RC vs. Mercyhurst Col. USA, NUIG vs. Cardiff Univ & Durham School, Prince of Wales: Old Collegians/London vs. Tideway Scullers & Molesey BC, Britannia: Fermoy RC vs Glasgow RC, Diamonds: Mannion vs. Mackworth-Praed. Further information on the draw is available from the regatta website www.hrr.co.uk Henley Royal Regatta - Qualifiers: Irish interest: Temple: Queen's Belfast vs. Cambridge Univ Lightweights, Trinity vs. Bates College USA , Thames: Commercial RC vs. Abingdon RC, Galway RC vs. Mortlake Anglian & Alpha BC, Visitors: Galway RC vs. Mercyhurst Col. USA (Thursday), NUIG vs. Cardiff Univ & Durham School (Thursday), Wyfolds: Commercial RC vs. Sydney RC Australia, Prince of Wales: Old Collegians/London vs. Tideway Scullers & Molesey BC (Thursday), Britannia: Fermoy RC vs Reading RC, Diamonds: Mannion (NUIG) vs. Mackworth-Praed (Thursday). Further information on the draw is available from the regatta website www.hrr.co.uk Notice of UCD Rowing Scholarship Interviews: London Metropolitan Regatta, May 30-31st:
Sunday saw better performances with the Seniors finishing ahead of the same Tideway Scullers crew and 2nd in their heat, before finishing 4th in the strongly contested final, with just 3 seconds separating NUIG in 1st, London RC, Henley RC and UCD in 4th. Soon after, the Senior 8+ again lined up on the start in a 1-on-1 contest against a London/Henley composite for the Elite 8+ event. Though tired and down off the start, the UCD crew pushed back strongly and won by one length. The Intermediate 8 also showed improvement on Saturday's performance, winning their heat and finishing 3rd in the final to a very quick Oxford Brookes crew and Thames RC. Notice: New Novice Profiles finally up here. University Championships and Queen's Regatta, April 24-25th: Points: 1st: UCD, 64 points, joint 2nd: Queen's and Trinity, 61 points Trinity Regatta, April 18th: Calls for 2009/2010 UCD Rowing Sports Scholarships now CLOSED: Colours Races, April 16th: Action then moved to the Sean O'Casey Bridge in the Docklands where the Senior Women were competing for the Corcoran Cup. Trinity had an excellent start and took an early lead of just over half a length. Despite being put under pressure by strong pushes from the UCD crew, the Trinity Ladies kept their composure and held off the pushes to win by roughly the same margin of their early lead. It was thus left to the Senior Men to prevent a Trinity 'clean sweep' in the last race of the day, the Gannon Cup. UCD were anticipating a fast start from Trinity and stuck to their race plan when they went down by a quarter of a length off the start. During the evening training sessions in Cork, the crew had focussed on developing their stride and maintaing a strong rhythm and this training paid off in the rolling conditions on the course as the crew settled into their rhythm. By the halfway mark, UCD were up by 3/4 of a length. Passing the MV Cill Airne, Trinity put in a strong push and closed this lead back to half a length. Again, UCD kept their composure and then put in their own push, extending out a lead of a length which they kept to the finish at the East Link.
UCD Boat Club would like to thank the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and Buitoni Pasta for their sponsorship and also Johnny Devitt for his organisation of the event. We would also like to congratulate Trinity on their wins and for an excellent contest. National Squad Trials, April 12th: Despite 7 of the Gannon crew being involved with the trials, preparation for the upcoming Gannon Cup continued each evening after the trials, with short technical and work sessions. A quality performance will be needed to defeat Trinity and retain the Gannon Cup. Neptune Regatta, April 4th: The next events for the club will be the National Squad Trials which take place next weekend at the National Rowing Centre and the Colours Races which take place on Thursday 16th in the Docklands. Calls for 2009/2010 UCD Rowing Sports Scholarships now OPEN: The deadline for applications is FRIDAY 24th APRIL. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Further information is available here. London Head of the River, March 21st: After the disappointing result at Erne Head, UCD's Senior VIII were focussed on putting in a good performance and a lot of technical work was done in the leadup to the race. The club was aiming for a top 30 finish and started in 101st position behind Liverpool University and in front of Osnabrucker II, a German crew. The crew rowed patiently, counting on their strength and improved technique to give them the result they were looking for. Their focus paid off and they had overtaken the two crews in front before the Chiswick Steps and were about 2 lengths off the next 3 boats passing the Putney boathouses near the finish. This excellent result has revitalised the squad and the crew is eagerly anticipating the next few events which will be Neptune Regatta, the Irish Squad Trials and the Gannon Cup. Congratulations must also be given to Queen's University Belfast who finished in 17th position, 4 seconds ahead of the UCD crew and who achieved the best Irish result at the head. Under their new Director of Rowing Mark Fangen-Hall, Queen's have become a strong force in Irish rowing and will provide excellent competition for the Wylie Cup at the upcoming University Championships and regatta season. The club would also like to thank everyone at Vesta Rowing Club for their hospitality and look forward to returning next year. Full results from the head are available from www.kingston.ac.uk/~kx21229/finish.htm. February 24th Update: Dublin Head, February 14th: The club fielded 6 Men's and 4 Women's VIIIs with UCD's Men’s Senior VIII placing the fastest time of the 36 crews entered, finishing the 3.5km course in 12mins 33secs, 7 seconds clear of Commercial RC who finished in 2nd place. This allowed UCD Boat Club to retain the overall Head pennant for the 2nd year in succession. The Women’s Senior VIII also won their category with a margin of 2 seconds over Commercial RC. The men’s Intermediate VIII also won their category in dramatic fashion, after picking up a 10 second penalty for being late to the start, meaning that their winning margin over Neptune RC was just 0.15 of a second. The club’s new Novices also had their first taste of competitive racing with 4 Novice VIIIs entered. All crews put in a solid performance with the 1st Men’s Novice VIII finishing 2nd in their category and the Novice Women winning theirs. The next two weekends will see the Men’s Senior squad competing at the Irish National Squad Trials in Newry on the 21st / 22nd February before heading to London on the 28th to train and race against Oxford University’s ‘Isis’ crew in the build-up to the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Races.
Upcoming Training Weekend with Oxford University's 'Isis' Boat: The weekend is planned for the 28th February when the Oxford 'Blue' Boat will also be pacing and training with University of Washington's Varsity 8+. Typically Oxford / Isis pace against the top international / UK crews so this invitation is an indication of the level at which UCD Boat Club now operates. UCD Boat Club's Senior 8+ is also entered in the London VIII's Head of the River which takes place on March 21st, so this training weekend provides the club with a chance to gain invaluable experience on the challenging 6.8km course. Needless to say, these two events will mean extra financial pressure on our members and fundraising will be undertaken to assist in this regard. Any support you may give the lads would be greatly appreciated. Seville Training Camp, January 9-18th: With temperatures in the mid-teens and in perfect rowing conditions, the group consisting of 35 guys, 13 girls and 5 coaches undertook 24 training sessions over the 8 days varied between technical & intensive waterwork, weight-lifting and pilates sessions.
The club would like to thank all coaches, committees and alumni that helped organise and plan the trip. UCD Boat Club is now in prime position to put in a strong performance at the upcoming St. Michael’s Head of the River timetrial at the end of the month in Limerick, where there will be over 80 Boat Club members all racing at least twice in various combinations. The Butler Cup, December 20th: Then with the traditional "Tying of the Winners to the Pole and Laughing at Them" ceremony complete and the Cheese, Ketchup & Onion-Eating champions decided, it was time to begin the drunken, meandering, almost kamikaze, adventure across town to the Boat Club's pub of choice, where new members to the club faced yet another Boat Club challenge, that of Island-Hopping. It was a brave and admirable attempt by the new generation of UCDBC members, but was deemed by all to be thwarted by a certain Novice Lady, who decided that a faceplant into the water would be a better idea. With one falling, it was not long before the whole collapsed. The record of 24 remains... Aside for a peculiar and lingering smell akin to burnt hair, outside the pub door, thankfully nothing else is recalled of the night which followed. Irish Indoor Rowing Championships, November 23rd: Neptune Head, November 15th: With the UCD/OC composite having set the standard to beat in the 1st Head, the club's student Senior 8 went out determined to prove they could better the composite's performance in the 2nd Head. Again UCD started behind Neptune, however in a solid performance they had taken the lead by the bridge and finished the course in 11.58, the only crew of the day to break 12 minutes. The Boat Club Ball Offaly Scullers Head, October 18th: Dublin Sculling Ladder, October 11th: Gala Day, September 13th: The club would like to wish all departing members well for the future - Mark Butcher, James Graham, Alex Hatwell, Kevin Cunningham, Tom Duggan, Darragh Coffey, Peter Hughes - all of you contributed to the amazing success of the club over the past year.
2007/2008 News Archive available here.
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Six UCDBC members were selected to represent Ireland at this year's Home Internationals in Nottingham, on the back of their performances at the squad trials earlier in the year. Anthony English paired up with Justin Ryan (Skibbereen) in the Lwt 2- and finished 2nd to Scotland. The Hwt 2- of Richard Skelly and Stuart King (Neptune) finished in 3rd, with 1.5 seconds separating them from England in 1st. The U23 4- of Finbar Manning, Dave Neale, Dylan Finnerty and Simon Craven was an all UCD affair and finished in 3rd, 6 seconds behind Wales in 1st. The small boats came together for the 8+ which was also coxed by UCDBC member Jennie Lynch, but again finished in 3rd place, 2 lengths behind England in 1st. Full results from the regatta are available 
UCD Boat Club picked up the "UCD Elite Club of the Year Trophy" at this year's Sports Achievements Awards. The new trophy was awarded by UCD President Dr. Hugh Brady to club captain Naoise Grisewood, who had already picked up a "President's Award for Excellence in Student Activities" earlier in the year for his administrative work with the Boat Club. This is the 2nd year in a row that the Boat Club has received one of the top Club awards from the college, after Jason Brooke received the Club Administrator of the Year Award" in 2008. 
The club had a fantastic weekend at the University Championships and Queen's Regatta in Castlewellan, Co. Down, with the highlights including winning the overall University Championships (Lady Victoria Trophy) and the Senior 8+ event on both days.
This year's University Championships had a new point structure and the title was fiercely contested for between UCD, Trinity and Queen's, with the lead changing hands several times during the day. Competition for the Wylie Cup was also strong, with the UCD Novice 8 providing one of the best races of the day, losing by 1 foot to Queen's. Queen's went on to win the Wylie Cup after winning the Intermediate 8 by half a length over the UCD Inters. This was the first time Queen's won the Wylie Cup since 1996, so congratulations are in order. Queen's were denied a clean sweep of the 8s events however, by the UCD Senior 8 who won by 2 lengths in an exceptional performance. This was the first Unichamps Senior 8+ victory for the club in 18 years.
Queen's Regatta also provided excellent results for the club with UCD winning the Senior and Intermediate 8s, the Senior 4+ and Inter 2-. 
UCD have won the Gannon Cup for the 2nd year in a row. Conditions on the day meant that the new course in the Docklands had to be shortened to just over 1,200m for the Senior crews and the Novice races moved to the Trinity Regatta course above the weir. 
UCD Boat Club began the 2009 racing season with a strong performance at the 65th Dublin Head of the River, winning the ‘Diana Cooke Trophy’ for Most Successful Club for the first time since the Head began, the Men’s Senior and Intermediate VIIIs, and the Women’s Senior and Novice VIII categories. 
The UCD group was joined by a pair from Neptune Rowing Club of Paddy Quinn and 2008 Beijing Lightweight 4- Olympian, Cathal Moynihan, in addition to sharing the World Championship facility with international squads from Spain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. This gave an added dimension to the training camp as the group attempted to learn from the professionals’ no-nonsense attitudes and emulate how they rowed their boats with maximum efficiency.
With the Christmas exams ending, it could only mean one thing - the time of the notorious Butler Cup had arrived. All other Islandbridge clubs looked on in awe as our new Novices, fueled by the all day free food & drink, laid siege to the river and tested their mettle in a formidable battle of skill & cunning. With the rules of this heroic event clearly allowing for assault, battery, boarding parties... in fact anything at all in order to cross the finishing line ahead, it was always going to be a closely fought battle and in the end, only two could emerge victorious - John Jordan and Dave Mallon. Their names will now forever be enshrined in UCD Boat Club history as the winners of the 2008 trophy.
The infamous Boat Club Ball is taking place this Friday 7th November in the MontClare Hotel on Merrion Street. Tickets are 70euro and are available from Dylan Finnerty P.R.O (086-3689033). In addition to the usual antics, there will be a slideshow of the past season put together by our very own Chris 'the Slideshow Donkey' Barter aswell as the awarding of the Meenan Trophy for Best Club Sculler and the all-important Rower of the Year award, for which there are several outstanding candidates. As ever, this is a night not to be missed and we look forward to seeing you there! 
The Boat Club's annual celebratory Gala Day took place on Saturday 13th September. Is there any better way of kick-starting the new rowing season than with several crates of free drink, a bit of racing and a barbecue at the boathouse before heading into our spiritual home of Hartigan's? Didn't think so! Almost all the trophies won in the previous season were kindly provided by Rowing Ireland, the college and the respective clubs, allowing the club to relive the many successes of the 2007/2008 season.
With the food and drink flowing and the Liffey Descent delaying access to the water, racing for the Henley Prize (Best Club 4+) was set aside in favour of the notorious 'How Low Can You Go?' competition, won by newcomer to the club Finbar Manning, beating one of our resident erg-monsters, Ben 'Bam Bam' Frederiks.
All eyes then turned to watch what would finally answer the question on everyone's lips: 'Which year provided the greatest Novice Championship winning crew ever? - Novices 07 or Novices 08?'. In an effort to even the odds, the '07
crew decided to take the slowest boat, reshuffle their line-up, fill their boat with water & stop several times on the way to the start to get sick. Lining up exactly level on the start, it was clear that the '07 crew were the more focused with the '08 crew missing the start and the race was restarted in the interests of fair-play. On the restart the '07 crew gained at least 3 seats on the first stroke and in an excellent display of paddling and in no way attributable to claims of breaking the start or aggressive steering, the '07 crew finished three quarters of a length up at the end of the 250m course (equivalent to 6 lengths over 2km!). The '07 crew then praised the efforts of their opponents and most certainly did not celebrate their victory any way short of magnanimously. The usual antics in Hartigan's are presumed to have followed - if anyone can remember them. 