Enniskillen Royal Boat Club travelled the short distance to Lough Rynn in Leitrim to compete in the Head of the Shannon race which had been switched to the lake venue due to very high water levels in Carrick-on-Shannon.

It was extremely cold, flat and calm with a hint of fog, but the bumper entry made for some exciting racing with crews from Connaught, Leinster and Ulster.

More than 100 athletes from the Erne – some of them for the first time – experienced the vast international rowing course and they were not disappointed.The morning race produced four winning crews.

The boys’ Junior 15 quad of Eoghan Campbell, Ryan Topping, Austin Cassidy and Luke Bailey beat five other crews and continue to show the form they first indicated last season.

A younger crew of Junior 14 scullers consisting of Cameron Bell, Bruno Maguire Favro, Shane O’Donnell, Jack Donnelly, Jack Donnelly, Ollie Carty, Evan Clarke, Felix Holland. Reece Brady, Joshua Inhat, won the octuple event – where each of the eight rowers has two oars – from St. Ignatius College, Galway and another gutsy crew from ERBC.

This was a maiden voyage for most of this crew of beginners.

The girls’ Junior 15 octuple of Summer Armstrong, Amy Lipscomb, Darcy Balfour, Naomi Robinson, Mya Morris, Zara Welsh, Molly Rice, Rachel Cathcart and Kate Huddlestone won their event from Galway Rowing Club and another unit from their own club.

A very pleasing result came from the girls’ Junior 13 quad of Andrea Blake, Natalie Turner, Caitlin Kelly, Emily Black and Isabella Wright, who beat the Galway school again and looked very impressive.

The afternoon race also saw four winning crews. The girls’ Junior 16 eight of Summer Armstrong, Kate Huddlestone, Annabelle Kingston, Eva Johnston, Rhea Cartin McCloskey, Katie O’Hare, Rachel Cathcart, Naomi Robinson and Emily Black were imperious in beating five other crews including Galway and Neptune from Dublin, while the Junior 14 girls octo (Erin Trimble, Natalie Turner, Mya Morris, Zara Lindsay, Darcy Balfour, Erin Carty, Zara Welsh, Jessica Thompson and Hannah Armstrong) were victorious over St. Ignatius once more.

The boys’ Junior 13 quad (Joshua Coulter, Cameron Bell, Maxim Gribbin, Luke Taggart, Dara McMurray Taylor) and the Junior 15 octo (Ryan Topping, Lorcan Screenivasan, Luke Bailey, Austin Cassidy, Oliver Polak, Eoghan Campbell, Cillian Donaghy, Joshua Inhat and Andrew Cuthbertson) showed promise for the season ahead in winning their events.

This is the last event before the new year and there is plenty of potential, but in the intervening period the rowers will not be dormant.

Meanwhile, four crews from Portora Boat Club Women’s squad also travelled to Lough Rynn on Saturday to compete in the 3,200m Carrick time trial.

Conditions were perfect all day on Leitrim’s multi-lane international rowing course.

In the morning, Portora’s over-50s raced in the club event, finishing second and third against significantly younger opposition from Sligo.

The main race was in the afternoon when the crews raced fellow Masters athletes.

The Portora A crew won their category after closing down Portadown in the last 1,000m in a time of 13mins and 2s. The B crew should be pleased with their performance in third place, only 25s behind second.

The A crew was steered by Siobhan O’Hare and the rhythm set by incoming Captain Helen Flanagan, who was delighted.

“To have so many women racing was fantastic and to come away with another win was very pleasing. I am so grateful for everyone’s support, and would especially like to pay tribute to Siobhan O’Hare, our outgoing Captain – she has given so much of her time and energy to help us all, including through the difficult lockdown.

“This win was for you, Siobhan,” she said.

In January, Portora will travel to Newry, followed up with competitions in Belfast, at home on the Erne, and Belfast again in March.