Following from earlier successes in the Dublin Sculling Ladder, yesterday saw some great performances in the first of the national Heads of the River race series. Neptune Head is the first opportunity of the year for clubs to compete in all boat classes along the 3,500m course on Blessington Lake. The event runs as two time trial races allowing athletes to compete in two boat classes in the same event and DULBC took full advantage of this entering eights, fours, quads and a single scull- an unusually broad entry again reflecting the increasing depth of skill in the club.
Single sculler Sinead Dolan, a Senior 8+ and a Novice 8+ took to the water in the first Head and were rewarded with winning pennants for each event. The Senior 8+, missing cox Naomi O'Sullivan due to illness, were extremely grateful for the help of an up and coming young cox from Portora Royal School without whom the boat would not have been able to race, thanks Chloe!
The second Head provided the first racing opportunity for a number of as yet untested small boat crews: a novice 4x+, novice 4+, senior 4x- and senior 4+. Again the senior 4+ relied on the very kind help of guest cox Rory Keogh (Commercial RC) to get them down the course. Two more pennants were added to the day's total from the Novice 4+ and Senior 4+.
A number of small illness and injury worries, to be expected at this time of year, meant a somewhat depleted squad was competing in Blessington yet a haul of 5 pennant including the fastest women's boat of the day certainly looks promising for the season ahead.
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