On Saturday 28th March, Queens rowing entered seven crews to compete in Tribesmen Head of the River 2009. Conditions on the day were temperamental, which led to the withdrawal of many boat classes from the event. However, with a fortunate change in the weather, racing conditions shaped up perfectly for some excellent rowing. This enabled the women’s intermediate VIII, the men’s novice VIII and men’s senior quad to compete.
The women’s intermediate eight were first to race, with Galway RC and NUIG also competing in their category. Unfortunately the women’s eight were unable to repeat recent form, and only managed second place much to their disappointment. Their time of 15:38.2 was only 6 seconds off the pace of the eventual winners, Galway RC, who finished the course in a time of 15:32.6. Third placed NUIG, were far off the pace of the front runners, finishing in a time of 16:03.5. The men’s novice eight was next to row, and after a gutsy performance they topped their category convincingly in a time of 14:16.0. This put them over 26 seconds ahead of second placed Garda. This was a promising result, providing the all-fresher crew with their first competitive win of the season. The lads must now make the transition to the short course for next week’s Neptune Regatta, where they will surely face tougher opposition. Despite many crews not being able to compete, the weekend was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with Saturday night serving as a great team-building opportunity. Next stop for Queen’s is Neptune Regatta for the first taste of the short course this season. Tribesmen HOR Results
Men’s novice VIII in action on the Corrib