Rowing Ireland Newsletter: April 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: NEPTUNE REGATTA • INDOOR ROWING •

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY BOAT RACES • HIGH PERFORMANCE TRIALS •

DAVID MANNION • SPORTS NUTRITION • AND MORE...

Rowing Ireland Newsletter APRIL 2014 Volume 2, Issue 3

certainly the precursor to the main

event. We wish the High

Performance team well in their first

regatta in Piediluco and hope this is

a stepping stone to future success.

We welcome Skibbereen Regatta

to the National Rowing Centre this

weekend, the first Grand League of

2014, with two full days of racing

and a huge entry. The commitment

of all volunteers involved in rowing

continues to amaze me, and with

participation growing, the challenge

now is to recruit more coaches,

A fter a frustrating weather

limited start to 2014, the

regatta season began in earnest

last week in sunshine on the Liffey

at Neptune Regatta. The event ran

smoothly and the new Tracker

system performed perfectly, I am

sure this will be the start of a

strong season of racing for us all.

The anticipated domestic and

international season promise much

excitement for athletes, coaches,

clubs and spectators and with Rio

qualification in 2015, this season is

administrators and supporters to

maintain this growth.

We all continue to work hard

behind the scenes to support and

develop rowing on the island of

Ireland and we welcome your

responses to our short online

survey that is designed to give all

our stakeholders a voice in the

development of rowing.

I look forward to meeting new and

old faces during regatta season and

I hope you enjoy our latest e-zine.

Hamish Adams, CEO

Welcome...

Rowing Ireland Newsletter

Inside this

edition:

Neptune Regatta 4

World Cup I 5

Cork Head of

the River 6

Dublin Head of

the River 7

High Performance

Trials 8

Dublin University

Boat Races 11

Coach's Corner 14

Nutrition for your

Immune System 17

Indoor Rowing: a

Brief History 20

Indoor Rowing 22

Safeguarding 25

Get Going…

Get Rowing 26

News 27

Great Pacific

Rowing Race 28

Around the

Country 30

Volume 2, Issue 3

© Nick Di Mascio

The Rowing Ireland

Newsletter is an official

publication of Rowing Ireland.

The views expressed by the

contributors within this

publication are not necessarily

the views of Rowing Ireland.

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

All feedback is welcome,

please contact:

[email protected]

(Above) The finish line of the

Novice Men’s race at the 2014

Dublin University Boat Races.

Cover Photo: Rowers warming

up on the Newry Canal

Photo Credit: Mark JJ Pearce

mailto:%[email protected]

racing, Andrei Lennon of

Graiguenamanagh RC won the

Junior 16 Single Scull and Stewart

Channon of Clonmel RC won the

Junior 18 Single Scull.

Silver medalist in the 2012 World

Rowing Junior Championships,

Portora RC’s Holly Nixon won the

Women’s Club 1 Single Scull, by a

length over Commercial RC’s

Eimear Lambe.

The Enniskillen-based club took

home several wins on the day, with

their women’s crews winning all

four women’s eight races.

In the final race of the day, a

Commercial/Old Collegians

composite beat Trinity by half a

length to win the men’s senior

eights title.

Commercial RC’s Michael Maher,

the two-seat in the winning eight,

had previously won the Men’s

Senior Single Sculls, over DUBC’s

Gianluco Como

T he first regatta of 2014, and

the first to incorporate the

new grading system took place in

sunny conditions in Islandbridge.

The huge entry of 317 crews

meant that the first round of

racing took place on Friday

evening. Even than, the racing

schedule on Saturday ran for 12

hours, from 7am- 7pm.

31 clubs travelled from all four

provinces to Islandbridge to take

part in the two-lane 1500m

regatta. The event was held in

calm and sunny conditions.

A huge entry of 17 and 22

respectively in the Men’s Junior 16

and Junior 18 single sculls meant

that the first race on Saturday

morning was run in a time trial

format, with the fastest eight

scullers in each category

progressing to the next round of

the competition. After the initial

time trial, and three rounds of

Under the new grading structure,

any rower winning a race at this

semi-status regatta will have 50

points added to their total points

in the discipline in which they

competed (sweep or scull), while

those losing a race will have 10

points deducted from their overall

points.

Results Summary

Men

Senior 8 Commercial/

Old Collegians

Novice 8 UCD B

Masters 8 Belfast RC

J16 8 Portora

Club One 4+ UCD

Intermediate 4+ Trinity

Junior 4+ Portora

Masters 4+ Carlow (D)

Club Two 4x+ Commercial


Neptune Regatta 2014

© Michelle Carpenter

Volume 2, Issue 3

J18 4x+ Athlone

J16 4x+ Commercial

J15 4x+ St Michael’s

J14 4x+ New Ross

J16 Double St Michael’s

Senior 1x Commercial (M

Maher)

Club One 1x Garda (D

Kelly)

Club Two 1x Trinity

(Addison)

Intermediate One 1x Trinity

(Rooney)

J18 1x Clonmel (Channon)

J16 1x Graiguenamanagh

(Lennon)

Women

Club One 8 Portora

J18 8 Portora

J16 8 Portora

J15 8 Portora A

Club One 4+ Commercial A

Club Two Quad: Galway

J18 4x+ Neptune

J16 4x+ Bann

J15 4x+ Commercial

J14 4x+ New Ross

J16 2x Clonmel

J15 2x Col Chiarain

Club One 1x Portora (H Nixon)

Club Two 1x Carlow (H

O’Toole)

J18 1x Commercial (A Rodger)

J16 1x Clonmel

World Cup I: Sydney

T he international rowing

season kicked off in Australia

this year, with the first of the three

World Cups taking place from the

28th to the 30th March. The event

took place at the Sydney

International Regatta

Centre in Penrith, New South

Wales, the site of the rowing

events at the 2000 Olympic Games.

Claire Lambe, who finished 13th in

the Lightweight Single Scull at the

World Rowing Championships in

Chungju last year, had been

entered in the same event in this

World Cup, as Ireland’s sole

representative.

Unfortunately, Lambe had to

withdraw from the competition

due to injury. The former UCD

athlete had been training at

Melbourne University Boat Club

since September, and has recently

returned to Ireland.

Richard Coakley, originally from

Skibbereen, but living in Australia

since 2010, made his international

debut for Australia in this event.

Coakley had previously

represented Ireland at several

Senior and U23 World

Championships from 2003-2008,

He finished 10th in the Lightweight

Four at the 2008 Olympic Games,

and won a silver medal in the

Lightweight Eight at the 2005

World Cup III in Lucerne.

In this event, Coakley was selected

as one of two Australian scullers

competing in the Lightweight Single

Scull. Coakley won his heat and

progressed straight to the A Final.

In the final, the Chinese sculler,

Tiexin Wang, took an early lead,

but Coakley had a strong start and

maintained an overlap on Wang for

the first half of the race. In the

second half, Wang stretched out

his lead and Coakley had to settle

for silver, in a time of 7:13.5.

© Igor Meijer/ FISA

Richard Coakley competing in the heat of the LM1x at the World Cup I

R escheduled due to the

inclement weather

conditions that forced the

cancellation of most other races in

early 2014, Cork Head of the River

took place in calm conditions on the

River Lee on Saturday 8th March.

Running on a 4km course on the tidal

Marina course, from the Port of

Cork to Blackrock Castle, 268 crews

took the water from 10:30am to

4pm. The Head combining a rolling

head and six fixed head races to

accommodate the large entry.

A strong tailwind throughout the day

saw fast times posted by the crews:

the overall winner, Cork BC’s Senior

Eight, completed the 4km course in

12 minutes and four seconds. The

crew took home the Denis Mc

Sweeney trophy, awarded to the

fastest crew, for the second

consecutive year.

Presentation College Cork’s Junior

Eight finished in second place, 28

seconds behind the winning eight,

Colm Hennessy, of Shandon BC,

was the fastest single sculler, he

completed the course in 14

minutes and 21 seconds.

Results Summary

Overall Winner/ Men’s Senior

8 Cork BC

Men’s Senior 1x Fermoy RC

Men’s Inter 8 Muckross RC

Men’s Inter 4+ Killorglin RC

Men’s Inter 2– Lee RC

Men’s Inter 2x Lee RC

Men’s Inter 1x Lee RC

Men’s Junior 8 Presentation

College Cork

Men’s Junior 4+ Presentation

College Cork

Men’s Junior 4x– Shandon BC

Men’s Junior 2– Shandon BC

Men’s Junior 2x Cork BC

Cork Head of the River 2014 Men’s Junior 1x Shandon BC

Men’s Novice 8 Shandon BC

Men’s Novice 4+ Shandon BC

Men’s Novice 4x+ St Brendan’s

RC

Men’s Novice 2x Clonmel RC

Men’s Novice 1x Lee RC

Men’s Masters 1x Cork BC

Women’s Senior 2x Cork BC

Women’s Senior 1x Cork BC

Women’s Inter 8 Cork BC

Women’s Inter 4x- Killorglin

RC

Women’s Inter 2x Cork BC

Women’s Inter 1x Cork BC

Women’s Junior 8 Shandon BC

Women’s Junior 4– Shandon BC

Women’s Junior 2– Cork BC

Women’s Junior 1x Cork BC

Women’s Novice 4x+ St

Michael’s RC

Women’s Novice 2x Lee RC

Women’s Novice 1x Lee Valley


Dublin Head of the River 2014

Volume 2, Issue 3

© Jet Photographic

3:15 pm by the Lord Mayor of

Dublin, Oisin Quinn. Competitors

faced heavy rain and gusty

conditions on the day, with several

crews running into difficulty at the

sharp bend near Heuston Station.

The 70th Head of the River

pennant was shared by Dublin

University Boat Club and a

Commercial RC/Grainne Mhaol

RC/ Old Collegians RC composite

eight, with both crews finishing in a

time of 11 minutes and 39 seconds.

This was the second consecutive

year the overall headship was

shared.

The fastest women’s crew was

UCD BC’s Senior 8, completing the

course in a time of 14 minutes 31

seconds.

Commercial RC were awarded the

Diana Cooke Trophy for the best

overall club.

The second and final Head race of

the 2014 season took place on the

Lower Liffey on Saturday 22nd

March.

This year saw a record 42 boats

competing, with crews from

across the country competing.

Dublin Head has been run on an

annual basis by Old Collegians

Boat Club since 1941. Since 1996,

the head has be run upstream on a

3.7km course from Burgh Quay to

Islandbridge on a rising tide. The

challenging nature of the course,

due to the confinement of the

quay walls and bridges, means that

the entries are limited to coxed

boats: eights, fours and quads.

Because of the city centre start,

the Head also tends to attract a

lot of casual spectators.

This year’s race was started at

Results Summary

Men’s Senior 8 Commercial

RC / DUBC 11:39

Men’s Inter 8 DUBC 12:28

Men’s Masters 8 Commercial

RC 13:25

Men’s Novice 8 QUBBC 13:35

Women’s Senior 8 UCDBC

14:31

Men’s Senior 4 Commercial RC

4X+ 15.00

Men’s Inter 4 Garda BC 15:04

Men’s Junior 8 Blackrock Col-

lege RC 15:07

Women’s Inter 8 UCDBC 15:55

Women’s Junior 8 Commercial

RC 16: 44

Women’s Novice 8 Garda BC

17:11

Women’s Senior 4 DULBC

(time only) 18: 55

Women’s Inter 4 Commercial

RC


High Performance Trials

Newry: February 2014

While the rest of the country

battled wind and waves on the

water, 125 of Ireland’s best

rowers took to the usually calm

waters of Newry from 22-23

February to compete in the third

stage of the High Performance

Trials process. Invites to this trial

were extended to a select few: 58

junior and 67 senior rowers.

Athletes were invited to these

The racing schedule was amended

on several occasions to avoid a

storm which blew over Newry

from Saturday evening to Sunday

morning. Even then, rowers had

to contend with a strong tailwind,

wind gusts and choppy water

which created difficult conditions

on the canal on both days.

Lightweight single sculler Siobhan

McCrohan, of Tribesman RC,

returning to the trialling process

after a year’s absence, topped the

trials on the basis of their

performances in 2km erg testing in

November, and in on-the-water

testing in September.

In a change from the previous trial

format, these trials were

conducted solely on the water,

with rowers completing a 5

kilometre time-trail on the Newry

Canal each day. The two-day

format gave coaches the

opportunity to test different crew

combinations.

ranking on both days (on Gold

Medal Percentage Times).

UCD’s Paul O’Donovan, an U23

athlete, was ranked second on

both days, racing in a Single Scull

on Saturday, and a Double Scull

with Skibbereen RC’s Shane

O’Driscoll on Sunday.

Old Collegians BC’s Sanita

Puspure, racing for the first time

since recovering from illness in

2013, put in strong performances

Volume 2, Issue 3

> Sligo Head of the River

> Junior training camp

> European Indoor Rowing Champion-

ships

>

Top 20

87.97% Siobhán McCrohan (LW1x)

87.40% O'Donovan/O'Driscoll* (LM2x)

87.26% Sanita Puspure (HW1x)

86.71% Anthony English (LM1x)

86.63% Dukarska/Moran (HW2x)

86.34% Niall Kenny (LM1x)

86.33% Orla Hayes (LW1x)

86.00% Caitriona Jennings (LW1x)

85.84% Sinead Dolan (LW1x)

85.18% Prendergast/O'Donovan (LM2-)

85.09% John Keohane (HM1x)

84.96% Ryan/Griffin (LM2-)

84.94% Keogh*/ Dilleen (HW2-)

84.79% Ruth Morris* (LW1x)

84.76% Cliona Hurst (LW1x)

83.69% David Quinlan* (LM1x)

83.49% Aidan McEvoy (HM1x)

83.35% David O’Malley** (HM1x)

83.34% Andrew Harrington* (HM1x)

82.92% Stephen O'Connor* (LM1x)

87.43% Siobhán McCrohan (LW1x)

87.30% Paul O'Donovan* (LM1x)

86.99% Sanita Puspure (HW1x)

86.33% Niall Kenny (LM1x)

86.26% Caitriona Jennings (LW1x)

86.03% Orla Hayes (LW1x)

85.75% Shane O' Driscoll (LM1x)

85.65% Monika Dukarska (HW1x)

85.61% Justin Ryan (LM1x)

85.46% Mark O'Donovan (LM1x)

85.43% Anthony English (LM1x)

85.16% Sinead Dolan (LW1x)

85.09% Ruth Morris* (LW1x)

84.65% Chris Beck* (LM1x)

84.50% Cliona Hurst (LW1x)

84.31% John Keohane (HM1x)

84.15% Saoirse Horgan* (LW1x)

84.14% Keogh*/Dilleen (HW2-)

83.75% Alan Prendergast (LM1x)

82.95% Eimear Moran (HW1x)

* U23 athlete

** Junior athlete

Top 20: Ranked by

Senior % Gold Medal Time

Saturday

Sunday

Rowing Ireland would like to

thank Newry and Mourne District

Council for their support in

running this event.

© Columba O’Hare

on both days, and finished in third

place in the overall ranking in both

races.

Junior sculler David O’Malley, of St

Michael’s RC, also impressed,

achieving 82.5% and 83.35% of

Senior Gold Medal Time in the

Saturday and Sunday races. →

time trial encouraged to compete

in the Home International time

trial on the Saturday afternoon.

On the basis of this weekend,

several senior athletes were

selected to compete at the

Memorial Paolo d’Aloja

International Regatta in Piediluco,

from 11-13 April: Sanita Puspure

(Old Collegians BC) in the Wom-

en’s Single Scull, Lisa Dilleen

(Grainne Mhaol RC) and Leonora

Kennedy (Portora BC) in the

Women’s Pair, Eimear Moran

(Three Castles RC) and

Monika Dukarska (Killorglin RC) in

the Women’s Double Scull and

Paul O’Donovan (UCD BC) in the

Men’s Lightweight Single Scull.

O’Donovan was also selected to

compete in the Lightweight Single

Scull at the 2014 World Rowing

U23 Championships

Junior and Under 23 crews will be

selected for events after further

testing in crew combinations.

NRC: March 2014

Five weeks after the Newry Trials,

the next stage of the High

Performance Trials Process

involved three days of on-the-

water testing at the NRC. The 94

invited athletes (41 juniors and 53

seniors) raced initially in a 1900m

time trial on Friday 28th March,

and on the basis of this, some

were invited to participate in

further testing on the Saturday and

Sunday.

The format of the testing varied:

involving seat racing, matrixes and

further time trials depending on

the crews being tested. The trials

culminated in 2 km side-by-side

racing on Sunday morning

For the first time, trials to select

crews for the Home International

Regatta in July were incorporated

within the High Performance trials,

with athletes failing to meet the

performance targets in the Friday

© Kaspars Puspurs

(Above) Rowers competing in

Sunday’s 2km side-by-side racing


races, which meant that the crews

had not raced yet this year, making

the outcome of all four races hard

to predict.

The Sally Moorhead Trophy (Novice Women) Introduced for the first time in

2005, the Sally Moorhead Trophy

for Novice Women is restricted to

rowers in their first year of rowing,

for this year’s crews it was also

their first race. The race started

at 10am, slightly later than the

scheduled time of 9:30am. It was

the UCD crew who seized an early

advantage, gaining a length over the

Trinity crew by the Capel Street

Bridge (600m gone), and they

continued to extend this lead

throughout the race, finishing with

a winning margin of 5 lengths over

Trinity. This is the first time UCD

have won this race since 2011.

The Dan Quinn Perpetual Shield (Novice Men) The Dan Quinn shield for novice

men was the next race on the

programmes taking place for the

11th time since its introduction in

2004.

In contrast to UCD’s dominating

performance in the Novice

Women’s race, this race was neck-

and-neck all the way to the line.

The taller UCD crew managed to

gain half a length on the Trinity

crew in the first 1000m, but a boat

-stopping crab brought them to a

complete stop outside the Four

Courts (1km). Trinity seized this

opportunity to fight back to a ¾

length lead. UCD’s crew regained

a slight lead going through the

Watling Street Bridge (1.5km), but

Trinity’s final sprint saw them push

through UCD in the last 400m of

the race, to win by a length and →

T his year the Dublin

University Boat Races took

place took place on the 16th of

March as part of Fáilte Ireland’s St.

Patrick’s Day Festival. The

university boat races are an annual

event , running along a 2.25km

upstream course on the River

Liffey, from O’Connell Bridge to

St. James’ Gate Brewery.

The event incorporates four races

between eights from Trinity

College Dublin and University

College Dublin: the Gannon Cup

for Senior Men, the Corcoran Cup

for Senior Women, the Dan

Quinn Shield for Novice Men and

the Sally Moorhead Trophy for

Novice Women.

A winter of extreme weather

conditions has led to the

cancellation of the majority of

Dublin University Boat Races 2014


© Nick Di Mascio


lead in the race, opening up a half-

length lead over UCD by Capel

Street Bridge. Not to be outdone,

UCD kept pushing back on the

Trinity crew, who continued to

maintain a slim lead for the first

half of the race, but UCD started

to close the gap in the second half.

Both crews passed through the

Wattling Street Bridge, marking

the final 700m of the race, virtually

level.

The Gannon Cup (Senior Men) The final race of day, the Gannon

Cup for Senior Men, was the 67th

edition of the race. Founded in

1947, the Gannon Cup was named

after former UCD rower and club

captain, Ciaran Gannon, who was

killed in action as part of the Royal

Army Medical Corps in Burma in

1944. In his memory, his friends

decided to bring to fruition the

Dublin University Boat Races (Cont.) a half. This was the first win for

Trinity in this event since 2010.

The Corcoran Cup (Senior Women) The Corcoran Cup was

introduced in 1980 as a fours’ race

between the ladies’ boat clubs of

both UCD and Trinity, with

Trinity winning the inaugural race.

The race was held in Islandbridge

for eleven years, until 1991, when

it then moved downstream to the

Lower Liffey. The race was

changed to eights in 1993,

reflecting the huge increase of

participation in women’s rowing in

Ireland at that time.

This year several rowers from

both Trinity and UCD’s crews are

currently trialling for Rowing

Ireland’s High Performance squads.

Both eights had plenty of strong

and experienced athletes on

board. However, it was the

lighter Trinity crew who took the

lead initially in this race, with a

higher stoke rate taking them to a

length’s lead over UCD in the

early stages of the race.

They continued to extend this lead

for the rest of the race, holding off

pushes from UCD’s eight, to a five

length advantage by the finish line,

an emphatic win for the Trinity

crew and their coach Andrew

Coleman, their first win since

2010.

UCD still maintain an overall lead

in this series, with 21 wins to 14.

long contemplated plan for an

annual race on the Liffey between

UCD, and Trinity. For this race, a

perpetual challenge trophy, to be

known as the Gannon Memorial

Cup was presented.

In recent years, UCD have

dominated this event, and this

year’s crew, stroked by U23 Silver

medallist Niall Kenny, came into

the race looking to make it seven

consecutive wins in this event.

It was Trinity who took the initial

In the final sprint, UCD took the

lead for the first time in the race,

when Trinity’s 4-seat, Luke

Acheson, began to go into oxygen

debt, and collapsed in the final

200m. UCD went on to win the

race. Luke was treated in hospital

and released later in the day.

This win meant UCD closed the

gap on Trinity in the overall

rankings, with 30 wins to Trinity’s

34 (and one dead heat in 1950).

UCD also equally Trinity’s 1976-82

record of seven consecutive wins.

Some of the Tweets posted by @GannonCup during the races

https://twitter.com/gannoncup

(Clockwise from top) Trinity Women’s Senior Eight on their way to winning the Corcoran Cup; Trinity’s Men’s Senior Eight;

both crews off the start of the Novice Women’s race; UCD’s Novice Men catch a crab halfway through their race

Volume 2, Issue 3

© Peter Wolfe

© Peter Wolfe © Nick Di Mascio

© Nick Di Mascio


David Mannion

Connacht Development Coach

different groups in different

capacities. In 2006 and 2009 I

worked with NUIG's novice

women’s squad on their technical

development. From 2007 I

developed the strength programs

for the men's program. In August

of 2010 I was asked to take on the

men's intermediate and

novice programs at NUIG. In the

winter of 2011, my coach, and

head of the NUIG men's program,

Tom Tuohy passed away. It was a

monumental loss everyone in

NUIG and to the sport. In January

of 2012 I took on the role of head

men's coach at NUIG, under the

guidance of Sean Carolan. Later

that year I was appointed head

coach for all the programs in the

club. Last season I coached the

women's U23 heavyweight 4 and

earlier this year I was appointed

abroad, and have some extremely

enjoyable and successful years with

the club. During my time at NUIG I

represented Ireland at U23 World

Championships in Italy, Yugoslavia

and Poland in Lightweight Fours

and the Lightweight Pair. I later

raced the Lightweight Single at

World Cups.

When did you start coaching ?

I first started coaching when I went

to NUIG in 1999. It has always

been the tradition that athletes

leaving the Bish would return to

coach the beginners and give back

to the club. I coached beginners for

two seasons. It was an interesting

experience and a very steep

learning curve. Some of the lads I

coached as beginners in the

Bish ended up rowing with me in

NUIG a few years later! During my

time in NUIG I worked with

How did you first get involved in

rowing?

I began rowing at school in 1995 at

St Joseph's College (the Bish) in

Galway. At school I tried many

sports but none of them

seemed to be a fit for me. Then

one of my classmates mentioned

he was going to try rowing so I

went along and after the first

session I was hooked. I rowed

throughout school and while my

crews were competitive, we didn't

win very much (maybe that was

the fuel for the next phase of my

rowing!). After school I went to

NUIG and from there I went on to

row with some exceptional

athletes, learn from some of the

best coaches in the country and

Coaches’ Corner David Mannion at the 2013 World Rowing U23 Championships

David with NUIG BC’s Novice 4+ at the 2011 Irish Rowing Championships

Volume 2, Issue 3

Since then I have been delivering

Coach Education courses, which

has given me the opportunity to

work with many coaches around

the country. Talking with them and

seeing how they solve

problems has helped me reflect on

and improve my own coaching. All

these experiences have greatly

helped my transition into coaching.

Rowing Ireland's Connacht

Development Coach.

How difficult was the transition

from rower to coach?

I am not sure if I have fully

transitioned yet as I am still

competing! I don't think that it has

been a difficult transition. I have

been very lucky to row with some

extremely talented and

intelligent oarsmen. Our

discussions on technique, boat

movement and training methods

have given me great reference

material that directly influences my

coaching. I think that my rowing

greatly improved my ability to

interpret what I see from the

coaching launch. It also helps me

understand what the rowers in the

boat are feeling. As a rower,

I always made the calls in our

coxless units. I spent nearly 14

years interpreting feelings through

the shell, my feet and my handle,

taking feedback from sight and

sound, and distilling that into one

or two calls to make an

improvement in the unit. I now use

these calls and triggers to help the

crews I coach. I was also lucky to

work with different coaches over

my years and picked up tips on

how to communicate and ensure

the message I deliver resonates

“ Every new athlete that I meet and work with

brings a new energy, a new way of moving and

a new set of skills to my understanding of the

sport”

with the athlete. I met Pat

McInerney in Poznan in 2008, and

he planted the seed with me that it

would be a good idea to

do some coaching courses.

Between 2009 and 2011 I took

Rowing Ireland's level 1 and 2

Coaching Courses. I was later

nominated to attend Coaching

Ireland’s Coach Tutor Course.

What do you enjoy most about

coaching?

The time close to the peak of the

season, when the crews I

work with really start to sing.

Watching all the individuals in the

unit move with perfect

harmony, as one. At that point

there is real verve that everyone

involved can feed off. It only →


What are the top three

attributes of a successful coach

in your opinion?

I feel that being patient has to be

up there. It is required when

developing crews over a season, or

when looking at an athlete’s long

term development from a Junior 15

to an elite senior. I also feel that

being a good communicator is

essential. Tied in with that is having

the ability to listen, take feedback

and then adapt to get the best from

yourself, and ultimately,

your athlete. I think that having

patience is essential to being a

good communicator. Finally, I think

that having a clear view of the

bigger picture is very important. It

is needed when making decisions in

relation to the how, what and

when of training and racing (and

don't forget the who of racing!).

happens when the athletes are at

the peak of their abilities, the

mood in the camp is right and

there is a belief in the unit that

everything has been done to the

best of our ability. It is a real

privilege to be a part of. That

feeling can fuel my motivation for

the long dark months of the

winter and the erg.

How do you motivate yourself

during the season?

At the start of each season I

commit to achieving a goal. I sit

down with all the people involved

in the project. We plan out how

we are going to achieve our goal

and what we each have to do.

Then I do it. I have been doing it

for nearly 15 years so at this stage

it is just normal.

Do you have any particular

characteristics that you look for

in a developing rower?

Honesty and hard work. An

athlete will go very far with those

two attributes alone.

What is the best coaching book

that you have ever read, or

would recommend to another

coach?

For reference, I would have to

recommend "Successful Coaching"

by Rainer Martens. It is a excellent

book and I learned a lot about

communication, coaching style,

coaching philosophy and

management from it. From an

interesting read point of view I

would recommend "Speed Trap"

by Charlie Francis. It could be

viewed as controversial but it is an

engaging story.

(l) David with NUIG’s WI 2x at

the 2013 Irish Championships

Volume 2, Issue 3

This is the time of year when many

people tend to come down with

colds and flu-like symptoms. As a

group, rowers have to battle the

elements whilst out in some of the

most inclement weather. Rowers

are also training in close proximity

to others, and may spend

considerable time in a boat with

crew members.

So how do you look after your

immune system to ensure you are

not missing days training due to

illness, missing competition, or

even worse, spreading infection

around your crew?

During intensive training periods,

or prolonged bouts of exercise

your immune system is suppressed

and you may be at an increased risk

of infection. The good news is that

there are some nutritional

strategies you can put in place to

limit the extent of this exercise-

induced immunosuppression and

minimise the risk of infection.

Why does exercise induce im-

mune suppression?

Immunosuppression is mostly due

to the immunosuppressive actions

of stress hormones, we produce

when we exercise. One of these

hormones, cortisol, suppresses

antibody production and

lymphocyte proliferation. There is

also a direct immunosuppression

due to glucose depletion because

glucose is a key substrate for

immune cells. Even before glucose

depletion becomes an issue, the

body will always prioritise

carbohydrate for training, thereby

limiting the amount available for

immune function.

How best to fuel the immune

system?

Eat a high carbohydrate diet to

ensure enough glucose is available

for both training and your immune

function and to reduce the stress

hormone response to exercise. In

practice, this means avoiding

running low on carbohydrates. So

before you get out on the water

for early morning high intensity

sessions, ensure you have had a

high carbohydrate snack. As many

rowers can struggle to eat first

thing in the morning, this could be

a liquid option, such as a fruit based

smoothie or a glass of milk or juice.

Then, after your training session,

include a carbohydrate based

snack as part of your recovery.

Regular fluid intake is also →

Laura Mahony is a

Performance Nutritionist

at Sports Institute Northern

Ireland (SINI)

Nutrition for your Immune System

Nutrition for your Immune System (Cont.)


important for the immune system.

There are two main reasons, one,

dehydration is associated with an

increased stress hormone

response and, two, saliva contains

several proteins with

antimicrobial properties such as

IgA and a-amalyase. Saliva

secretion falls during exercise and

dehydration, so regular fluids are

essential in promoting adequate

saliva flow.

Recovery is key, especially for

rowers where you may have two if

not three races/sessions in one

day, and when time between

sessions is short. Organisation

and planning is needed to ensure

appropriate food and fluids are

available. The aim of recovery is

to get your body back into a pre

-exercise state ready for your next

session, or simply just the stresses

of the day ahead. Muscles are in

an anabolic (building) state directly

after exercise, so a

combination of carbohydrate and

protein soon after finishing helps

replace glycogen stores and

provides amino acids (protein) to

your muscles to build and repair

muscle tissue. See Table 2(right)

for examples of recovery snacks

suitable for rowers. These are all

quick and easy to eat foods.

Finally, and perhaps the area that

receives the most attention is the

area of minerals and vitamins. An

adequate intake of iron, zinc and

vitamins A, C, E, B6 and B12 are

particularly important for

maintaining your immune function.

They work through a number of

different ways, for example as

anti-oxidants cleaning up damaged

cells or invading infection, or in

helping white cells to grow and

multiply. Consumption of mega

doses of supplements is not

advised, and in fact, excess intakes

of iron, zinc, Vitamin E can actually

impair immune function.

Whole foods are made up of a

number of components, for

example phytochemicals, which

can all exert different health

benefits, and by taking juices/or

supplements of one specific

vitamin/mineral you may be

missing out on the benefit of the

food when eaten as a whole. All

of the essential vitamins and

minerals for a healthy immune

system can be found in a well-

balanced diet, see Table 1 (right).

In summary, during intensive

training your immune system is

suppressed. In order to avoid

succumbing to illness during this

time try to follow these key tips:

Volume 2, Issue 3

1. Regular carbohydrates

• Include a source of

carbohydrates with each meal

• Include a high CHO snack be-

fore high intensity training

• Include CHO in your recovery

snack/meal

2. Prevent dehydration

• Regular fluid intake

• Monitor your pee colour for

signs of dehydration – aim for light

straw colour.

3. Ensure good recovery after

every session

• Aim to eat directly after finishing

your session, so bring food with

you if necessary.

4. Use immune boosting

supplements appropriately

• Try to avoid micronutrient

deficiencies by eating a well-

balanced diet

• Include foods high in Vitamin C,

Vitamin E, Zinc and Iron

Food Carbohydrate Protein

Smoothies

40-90g (depending

on ingredients)

10-21g

Large bowl cereal & milk 50g 7g

Chicken Sandwich (Roast Chicken) 43g 24g

Flavoured Milk Drink e.g. Yazoo,

Yop, Mars 20- 41g 6-9g

Plain ham sandwich 35g 13g

Snack pack of Granola (50g pack) 33g

(per 50g pack)

2.8g

(per 50g pack)

Cereal products e.g. cereal bar /

grab2go cereal packs / Snack-a-jacks 11 - 27.1g 1 -3.4g

Snack pack of Cranberries

& Cashews (50g pack)

20.6g

(per 50g pack)

3.2g

(per 50g pack)

Banana 20-25g 1g

Malt Loaf 19.2g 2.8g

Box of dried fruit (28g) 15-19g <1g

Low Fat Yogurt (175g) 15g 7g

Milk Carton (250ml) 12g 9g

Table 2: List of carbohydrate containing snacks

Table 1: Common food sources of key vitamins

and minerals required for immune function

Vitamin/ Mineral Food Source

Vitamin A Cheese, eggs, yogurt, fortified low-fat products

Vitamin C Wide variety of fruit & vegetables: berries, oranges,

broccoli, potatoes, red & green peppers

Vitamin E Olive oil, nuts & seeds, cereal products

Vitamin B6 Pork, Chicken, Fish, Bread, whole cereals, eggs, milk,

potatoes, vegetables

Vitamin B12 Meat, milk, cheese, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals,

salmon, cod

Iron Meat, beans, nuts, dried fruit, fortified breakfast

cereals, dark-green leafy vegetables

Zinc Meat, shellfish, dairy products, bread & cereal

products


In the 1970s the Gjessing-Nilson

ergometer was developed in

Norway and quickly became very

popular among rowing coaches at

the time. Its design was based on

a friction brake mechanism with

industrial strapping applied over

the broad rim of the flywheel.

Weights hanging from the strap

ensured that an adjustable and

predictable friction could be

calculated

Until the 1980s, indoor rowing

was only used as a supplementary

training method during the winter,

and had not developed to

adequately replicate on-the-water

rowing. However, a major

breakthrough in indoor rowing

competitive rowers to train all year

round. The first official record of

such a machine was in 1872, when

WB Curtis patented a hydraulic

based damper design in the USA.

These initial primitive machines did

not offer an accurate replication of

on-the-water rowing, and could

not measure power output.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the design

of these basic machines was

improved upon, and specially made

rowing machines for training and

power measurement were

developed. The normal design was

a large, heavy, solid iron wheel us-

ing a mechanical brake to create

resistance.

T he concept of ‘indoor

rowing’ had its roots in the

mid-19th century, when the sport

of rowing was growing in

popularity in mainland Europe and

North America . The freezing

winters in these regions meant

rowers were limited to cross

training over the winter months,

and could only train on the water

from late spring to early autumn,

when the lakes and rivers had

thawed.

Frustrated by this, some rowing

coaches looked to develop a

training tool that would replicate

the movement and feeling of on-

the-water rowing as much as

possible, and thus allow

Indoor Rowing: A Brief History

Rowing machine on the Titanic (1912)

Volume 2, Issue 3

competition using the new ma-

chines, at Harvard’s Newell Boat-

house, where competitors

raced over a distance of 5 miles.

This event, informally known as the

CRASH-B Sprints, after the

founding group, developed over the

years since its foundation to be-

come the World Indoor Rowing

Championships. Initially raced over

5 miles, the distance was shortened

to 2,500m following the

introduction of the Model B

ergometer. In 1996 the distance

was shortened again, to the

standard racing distance of 2000m,

to keep in line with the demands of

international coaches, who looked

for rank athletes over the winter

based on the results of 2000m

ergometer testing. This has

remained the core event for indoor

rowing races to this day, though

team events and sprint races over

set times or distances are also

commonplace.

Most countries now run their own

national indoor rowing champion-

ships, along with continental cham-

pionships, with Concept2 ergome-

ters remaining the standard rowing

machine used for racing.

Indoor rowing continues to grow

as a sport in its own right. In re-

cent years, the hugely popular

Cross Fit, which incorporates

sprints on a rowing machine as part

of their workouts, has introduced

many new athletes to the sport.

The 2014 edition of the CRASH-B

Sprints saw over 2,100 athletes

from 25 countries compering, with

competitors aged from 12 to 96.

came with the development of

rowing machines based on air

resistance in the 1980’s. This

development meant indoor rowing

machines could provide a very

close simulation of the rowing

stroke, with the constantly

spinning flywheel simulates the run

of the boat.

The Concept 2 ergometer was

introduced in 1981 by the

Dreissigacker brothers, both

rowers on the national team, from

Vermont. The initial design, which

became known as the Model A

ergometer, was a fixed-frame

sliding-seat design using a bicycle

wheel with fins attached for air

resistance.

The later development of this

design heralded the beginning of

indoor rowing as a competitive

sport in its own right. The

Dreissigackers introduced the

Model B ergometer in 1986, with

improvements including a solid

cast flywheel enclosed by a cage

and the first digital performance

monitor, which proved

revolutionary, allowing for accurate

measurements of power output.

A few months after the

introduction of Model A

ergometer, a group of 20 Boston

rowers, known as the Charles Riv-

er All Star Has-Beens (C.R.A.S.H.-

B’s), held the first indoor rowing

(Above) An early indoor rowing race using Concept 2 Model A ergometers

(Below) Concept 2 Ergometers

Left-Right: Models A (1980), B (1986), C (1993), D (2003) and E (2006)

More on indoor rowing events in

2014 on the next page →

started training back on the erg in

2011, after a three year break

from the sport. He won the open

lightweight event at the World

Police and Fire Games in 2011 and

2013. A former international

rower, McDonald’s P.B. for a 2km

is 6:15 seconds (at 72kg).

The 2014 World Rowing

Championships (CRASH-B Sprints)

held in Boston on 15th February

was the first time Doyle and

McDonald raced each other this

year. Doyle had won the LM40-49

event in 2013, and came into the

2014 competition looking to retain

his title. McDonald was competing

at the CRASH-B’s for the first

time, and was targeting the World

Record. However, both would be

disappointed on this occasion. →


A n intriguing competitive

rivalry between two Irish

athletes came to a head at 1pm on

Sunday 6th April, when Jonathan

Doyle and Kenny McDonald set up

their ergs in St Michael’s Rowing

Club, Limerick, to complete a

2000m erg test. Both athletes had

been competing against each other

on the indoor rowing circuit in the

2014 season, and had emerging as

leading contenders in the

Lightweight Men’s 40-49 Category,

But until now, neither had beaten

the Irish Record of 6:21.7, set by

Belfast’s Philip Healy at the 2012

BIRC, nor the World Record of

6:16.8 set by the legendary Danish

rower, Eskild Ebbesen at the 2014

EIRC.

Despite their similarities, the

background of these two athletes

could not be more different:

McDonald has been rowing

competitively since the age of 14,

while indoor rower Doyle has

never set foot in a boat, and

discovered indoor rowing when

cross-training for a marathon.

Paddy Power IRC’s Doyle had a

fantastic 2013 season, winning the

LM40-49 category at the BIRC in

December, and setting a P.B. 2k

time of 6:27.1. His 2k time was the

second fastest time by a light-

weight over 40 in the world in

2013. In January this year he came

second to Eskild Ebbesen at the

2014 EIRC: “Just being part of that

race felt like a real privilege”

McDonald, a long-standing

member of Shannon Rowing Club,

Indoor Rowing: Chasing a World Record

J onathan Doyle, by his own

admission was ‘utterly

sedentary’ until his late

twenties, when started

competing in marathons and

mountain runs. It was then,

while recovering from injury,

that Doyle started cross

training on an erg to keep his

fitness up, and enjoyed it.

He started following a

coaching programme from

the Concept 2 website,

received some coaching from

Neville Maxwell, and bought

an erg, with a view to

competing at the Irish Indoor

Rowing Championships. The

appeal of indoor rowing was

two-fold- unlike running

‘there was no impact and in-

jury wasn’t an issue’ and it

was very time-efficient, with

two young children and a full

-time job to contend with: ‘I

can go out into my shed,

train hard and be back in the

real world within the hour’.

Intensity is the basis of

Doyle’s training regime:

excluding warm-ups he only

rows 40km per week ‘but not

a meter of that is wasted. It’s

all intense’.

The peak of Doyle’s season,

like most indoor rowers,

takes place in the traditional

rowing off-season. The main

competition focus for Doyle is

Irish and British Champion-

ships, held every autumn, and

he has also competed at the

European and World Indoor

Rowing Championships.

With an impressive track

record at these events,

including one gold and three

bronze medals at the BIRC

and one silver and one bronze

at the EIRC, the highlight of

Doyle’s indoor rowing career

came in 2013, when he won

the Lightweight 40-49 event at

the World Indoor

Championships in a time of

6:32.0: “It wasn’t my fastest

time by any means…but it’s

something I’ll always be able

to tell my kids”.

Looking to the future, Doyle

remains focused on a sub 6:20

2k as a personal goal: “I’m

going to tear it down and build

it back up again this year once

the season is over and really

have a go at taking a massive

chunk off my PB.

That’s a big ask, but unlike a

lot of other rowers my age,

I’m still on the upward curve

and still cranking out PBs, so

it’s still on my radar.”

“I’m going to tear it down

and build it back up

again and really have a

go at taking a massive

chunk off my PB. ”

Volume 2, Issue 3

Jonathan Doyle competing in

the 2014 European Indoor

Rowing Championships

he finished second in a time of

6:26.7.

Away from the bright lights and

2100 competitors of the Agganis

Arena, a much different race took

place in Limerick on April 6th:

with the two athletes going head-

to-head for the last time this


McDonald struggled with his

pacing: “I over cooked the first

1200m and suffered in the last

800m” and fell short of his World

Record goal, but still held on to

win gold in a time of 6:24.5. Doyle

took four seconds off his time

from the 2014 EIRC, but it was

not enough to beat McDonald, and

K enny McDonald was an

early convert to rowing,

taking up the sport at the age

14 at Shannon Rowing Club.

While it took 10 years to win

his first Irish Championship

title, he soon made up for lost

time, winning eight Senior

titles before retiring from

sweep rowing in 2008.

He also competed at

international level, finishing

8th in the Lightweight Quad

at the 2004 World

Championships and won a

silver medal in the

Lightweight Eight at the 2005

World Cup in Lucerne.

The physical and mental

challenge of indoor rowing

appealed to McDonald: “If you

want to succeed on the erg

you must commit yourself

totally in training, lifestyle and

all other aspects of your life.

There are no half measures,

alternatives or excuses ”

McDonald’s first indoor event

was the 2001 Irish Indoor

Rowing Championships,

where he won a gold medal in

the Open Lightweight event.

He followed this up in 2002,

with a 10th place finish at the

BIRC and another gold medal

at the IIRC in a time of 6.18.

Despite these successes at

indoor events, McDonald

remains a rower at heart:

“Sweep rowing and sculling

are my preference when it

comes to rowing...training on

the machine is one

component of my program”

Kenny McDonald competing in the 2014 World Rowing Indoor Championships

season. This time, McDonald

paced himself well, and finished in

a time of 6:20.7, setting a new

Irish record by exactly one

second. Jonathan Doyle, despite

setting a new P.B. of 6:24.0, again

had to settle for second place.

With McDonald looking to return

to competitive rowing this season,

rowing a double scull with his

younger brother John, it will be

next season before these two

athletes meet again, and with a

potential World Record in both

their sights, these will be two

rowers to watch out for in the

2014/15 indoor rowing season.

“ Winning is nice, but an honest performance is

important. Win or lose, I am only ever

satisfied when I know I’ve done my best”

- Kenny Mc Donald

it reflects the wider responsibility

for health & safety and prevention,

as well as just protection from

abuse. The word safeguarding has

been used with increasing

frequency over the last few years in

a wide range of settings and

situations, going well beyond the

world of children and child

protection. It may be defined as:

“Doing everything

possible to minimise the

risk of harm to children

and young people.”

Safeguarding is about being

proactive and putting measures in

place in advance of any contact

with children to ensure that

children are going to be kept safe.

Volume 2, Issue 3

R owing Ireland is currently

reviewing our Code of

Ethics and Good Practice for

Children’s Sport – together with

Sport Northern Ireland and the

Irish Sports Council. Safeguarding

as described below is an extremely

important topic for all Club

members to be intimately aware

of. We will be promoting

attendance of provincial

Safeguarding workshops later this

year and would strongly encourage

all Club members to attend. The

revised safeguarding policy will be

available on www.rowingireland.ie

in the near future.

Safeguarding or Child

Protection

The term child protection has

been extended to safeguarding as

© RowFit

This could include:

1. Ensuring staff and volunteers

are properly checked when

they are recruited

2. Guidelines for people who

come into contact with

children and young people as

part of their role to ensure

they know what they need

to do to keep children safe

3. Guidelines for planning an

event or activity with

children and putting

measures in place to

minimise the risk of

safeguarding issues

occurring.

For more information, you can

contact the following:

Child Protection Officer:

Tom Fennessey

[email protected]

+353 86 830 8610

Authorised Signatory

Garda Vetting

(Republic of Ireland):

Denis O’Regan

[email protected]

+353 21 743 4044

Authorised Signatory

Access NI Vetting

(Northern Ireland):

Brenda Ewing

[email protected]

+44 2890 849 499

Safeguarding Children and

Young People Policy 2014

http://www.rowingireland.ie





Get Going...Get Rowing

sport through using the ergometer

and making it interactive and fun.

Of course the outcomes

are endless not only will

it encourage the pupils to keep fit,

it will also enable pupils to try out

a different sport that they may nev-

er have had the opportunity to in

the past.

The Women in Sport project was

started in two schools: Mercy Girls

College, Inchicore and Caritas

College, Ballyfermot. The initial

up-take is very promising and PE

teachers are delighted to be given

athletes to train indoors when they

are unable to get out on the

water, it also facilitates indoor

rowing programmes in schools, and

gives pupils the opportunity to

"dip into the sport’ and get a sense

of what the sport is about.

The Schools’ Indoor Rowing

Initiative has just received funding

from the Irish Sports Council

under the Women in Sport

Initiative.

The idea behind the project is to

get girls and boys involved in the

Traditionally rowing has been

linked to schools that are in a

position to get on the water, either

because they are located near a

river or lake, or because they have

the resource of a bus to bring them

to and from a boat house.

Then along came the invention of

the ergometer, and everything

changed... not only does it allow

Michelle Carpenter

Leinster Women’s

Development Officer

experience".

The project at present is a

pilot scheme and will work

with schools around the

greater Dublin area, however,

it is hoped that in time funding

will be allocated to extend the

scheme further afield.

We are also looking for

volunteers to help run the

programme in many of the

schools, so those of you who

may have some time free, or

whose company is involved in a

CSR (Community and Social

Responsibility) project, this would

be the perfect time for you to

help out. We are only looking for

a minimum of two hours a week,

It might be that opportunity you

have been waiting for to give

something back to the sport you

love.

I will work alongside Dublin

Municipal and the Leinster Clubs to

identify any youngsters interested

in continuing the sport on the

water.

This is a very exciting opportunity

for Rowing Ireland and we are

thrilled to be able to roll out this

initiative. Not only will it bring

rowing to schools, but it will also

give awareness and leverage of the

sport in an environment which it

has not been in a position to do

previously.

Remember to also follow us on

Twitter and Facebook for Get

Going ... Get Rowing updates!

Volume 2, Issue 3

the opportunity to take part. Many

schools have struggled for diversity

for a long time with the selection

of sports being limited to ball

games, on a court or in a hall, and

teachers are delighted to have a

ready made programme that takes

the pupils away from the "norm".

If the pupils show an interest in

rowing on the water they will be

encouraged to participate in a

camp at the nearest rowing club. It

gives pupils a flavour of the sport

before having to commit

themselves to an "on the water

In Short...

> Oxford lived up to their

reputation as favourites in

the 160th Boat Race, with an

eleven length win over Cambridge

in the 6.8km race, which took place

on the Thames on Sunday April

6th. Oxford had previously taken

the honours in the Women’s Boat

Race, held in Henley on March

30th, and in the reserve race,

which preceded the main event.

Chris Black, who represented

Ireland in the Junior Men’s Pair at

the 2012 World Junior

Championships, rowed in the bow

seat of Goldie, the Cambridge

reserve boat.

> Dominic Casey of

Skibbereen RC was awarded

the President’s Prize at the 2014

Annual General Meeting, held in

Dublin on April 6th. Casey

received the award for his

contribution to the development of

Skibbereen RC, and to Irish

rowing. He was also named ‘High

Performance Coach of the Year’ ,

in recognition of his achievements

in the 2013 season, particularly

coaching Paul O’Donovan to a

bronze medal in the Lightweight

Single Scull at the 2013 U23 World

Championships. Provincial branch

awards were presented to: Mike

McCrohan of Tribesmen RC

(Connacht), Niall O’Toole of

Commercial RC (Leinster),

Gordon Reid of Lagan Scullers

Club (Ulster) and Mary Bonner

of Tralee RC (Munster).

https://twitter.com/get_rowing

https://www.facebook.com/GetGoingGetRowing

a rigorous rowing schedule of 2

hours on, 2 hours off, 24 hours a

day in order to complete the race

within their 40 day target. Whilst

two of the crew row, the other

two will be alternating between

sleeping, navigating, preparing

meals, producing fresh water and

O n June 7, Aoife Ní

Mhaoileoin, a doctor from

Castleknock in Dublin will set off

on a 2,400 mile rowing expedition

from Monterey, California to Hon-

olulu, Hawaii, as part of a team of

four aiming to set a new world

record by completing the journey

within 40 days.

Aoife, along with her teammates,

Emily Blagden, Laura Kennington

and Ingrid Kvale, known as ‘Team

Boatylicious’, will be the first all-

female four to complete the row.

They will compete as one of 15

crews participating in the inaugural

Great Pacific Race, which the

organisers describe as the “biggest,

baddest human endurance

challenge on the planet”.

The team will be completely self-

sufficient, carrying all of their

equipment and food for the

journey on board as they navigate

the route. They will be sticking to

conditions which are expected to

vary from calm, flat seas to stormy

waves up to 40ft high.

Each crew member will be

harnessed to the boat whilst on

deck and in the event of large

waves, they will be confined to the

front and rear cabins in the boat.

Great Pacific Rowing Race 2014


“ I’ve been looking for the chance to take part

in a life-altering, mind-blowing personal

challenge and being part of this team is just

that!”

-Aoife Ní Mhaoileoin

handling communications.

With only limited space for the

crew of four on-board the 29 foot

boat, a bucket will serve as the

bathroom and the cabins will be

used as bedrooms.

An expert weather prediction

service will provide the crew with

daily updates on weather

“I’m drawn to the race as an

opportunity to test all my physical

and mental resources.” Aoife says.

“Obviously it’s a daunting

prospect, particularly as I’ve never

taken on a major rowing

expedition before, but I can’t wait

to get out on the water in June. “

The team is raising money for two

Kilimanjaro and Mount Toubkal.

Until recently, she had no rowing

experience whatsoever.

“I’ve been looking for the chance

to take part in a life-altering, mind-

blowing personal challenge and

being part of this team is just that!”

says Aoife.

“We have been training intensely,

as well as taking courses in sea

survival and navigation. Beyond the

physical and psychological training,

there are also a huge number of

practical considerations. We need

to ensure that our boat is race

ready and that we have reliable

water-purifying equipment and

plenty of food — we’ll need to

consume 5,000-6,000 calories a

day!

“Less than three months out I am

getting nervous, but if nothing else

it’s a great excuse for a holiday in

Hawaii!”

Volume 2, Issue 3

charities: Hope and Homes for

Children, which works

internationally to eradicate

institutional care of children and

the Ahoy Centre, which gives

disadvantaged children and people

with disabilities the opportunity to

earn sailing qualifications.

The team are hoping to break a

world record for being the fastest

all-female team of four to row the

Mid-Pacific route. The current

record for the crossing stands at

64 days and is held by solo ocean

rower, Mick Bird. To put the

challenge into perspective, over

5,700 people have reached the

summit of Mount Everest whereas

only 5 people have ever rowed

this Pacific Ocean route.

Aoife, a graduate of Trinity

College, was born and raised in

Dublin, and has undertaken a

number of endurance challenges,

including climbing Mount

The Boat

(Above)The route from California to Hawaii: 2,400 miles

(Opposite page) Team Boatylicious, with Aoife Ní Mhaoileoin on the far right

As the race will be entirely self-

supported, all food and equipment

for the duration of the race must

be carried within the boat. Food

will be stored below deck.

The ‘Black Oyster’ was previously

used by the Islanders, the winning

crew of the 2013 GB Row Challenge

The 24-foot boat has two rowing

positions with a small cabin in both the

stern and the bow for shelter and

storage.. Emergency freshwater

reserves will be stored in the ballast,

which will help the boat to self-right

following a capsize. The sea anchor will

be deployed in strong winds to slow

backwards drift.

Volume 2, Issue 3

Around the

Country

Rowing Ireland Newsletter: April 2014

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Transcript of Rowing Ireland Newsletter: April 2014