THE 175th Lee Regatta was held on May 24th at the Marina in Cork City and Bantry Rowing Club was represented by 25 crews in three different age categories and four boat classes in both boys and girls.
It was a hectic day with little rest for athletes or coaches. All parents in attendance also earned their keep by helping with rigging, launching and recovering from the busy waterway.
Bantry ended the day with five wins.
The Hinnell twins scored the first win of the day in the girls J15 double scull by laying down a big marker to their rivals and winning by a distance.
They were joined on the podium by the other Bantry double scull who were just edged into third in a great battle.
Not to be outshone by their club mates, the boys J14 double of Cian Hennessy and Shane Cronin added to the medal haul with an impressive victory in their final, racing aggressively to the delight of the cheering Bantry supporters.
Between these winners were some strong showings in the crew boats coxed by the precocious Tom O’Donovan who was hunting for his maiden win on the Lee in the club’s newest racing quad.
Despite solid performances by his crews, Tom will have to live to race another day as the competition was fierce and strong crews from Lee and Castleconnell brought home the golds.
The men’s J13 single and double sculls delivered two more golds with Cian Hennessy racing smartly to control his final and win comfortably within himself.
Aidan O’Mahony quickly followed him to the top step on the podium with an impressive victory in his final.
The double scull of Aidan O’Mahony and Alex O’Donovan was held to second in the men’s J13 double sculls with the win proving elusive on the day.
Bantry was at the pointy end for the three most exciting races of the day. In the fast and exciting girls J14 octuple scull, Bantry finished third in a blanket finish behind Castleconnell and Muckross, with less than a length between all three of the colossal sixteen oared speed machines as they surged for the chequered flag.
In her debut race in the single scull, Abbie Collins from Kealkil came an agonising second, just beaten in the final 50 metres of the race, showing more than a hint that she may have a bright future in the single sculls.
The race of the day was reserved for the girls J14 double sculls where Bantry battled it out with Skibbereen for supremacy.
Bantry was first off the line and settled into a narrow lead over Skibbereen who never left Bantry more than a nose out in front.
With the other boats already distanced, this was a two-way battle for the win. The Bantry double of Ellie O Donovan and Alex Manning battled to take control passing the crowds at the pontoons at the halfway mark eeking out a length of a lead - rowing well they looked to have it in the bag.
But as you might expect, Skibbereen had different plans for the day and never gave up.
The Skibbereen duo, who had the edge on raw power, inched back on the Bantry double drawing level around 100m from the line.
It was stroke for stroke all the way ending with a Skibbereen win by a bow ball on the last stroke of the race.
Heartbreak for the Bantry double and their vociferous supporters.
Maybe there is something in the water in Skibbereen after all! No doubt this was just the first of many future battles between these neighbouring ladies’ crews in the coming years.
Let’s hope they can continue serving up such spectacular races.
Cian Hennessy rounded off his day’s takings of a hat trick of victories by stepping up on age grade and taking on his older rivals in the J14 single sculls.
His clever racing in the J13 final race meant he could empty the tank on the J14 race, leading from the starters gun all the way to a commanding victory that capped off a fine day’s racing.
A win proved elusive for the girls in the J14 singles with Bantry finishing in second place in three out of the four races. But some great racing and performances were in evidence.
It will be back to training this week where the Bantry crews will work on honing their technical skills and race craft to find those final few metres to close the gaps and turn some of those silvers into gold at the next outing. Well done to all involved in representing the club ably and with pride.
