With seven entries, the men’s senior coxless four will undoubtedly bring some nail-biting racing with crews from the University of Galway Boat Club and Commercial Boat Club going head-to-head down the six kilometre course, from the top of the Killyhevlin straight to the Enniskillen Boathouse. Both clubs have a significant depth in their programmes with both clubs being able to field 3 fours each.
University of Galway Boat Club A (UGBC)
The A crew from University of Galway Boat Club, fresh off a third-place finish at July’s Irish Championships, will have their sights sets on claiming victory on Saturday. Cormac Benson, the only new addition to this crew, will be taking the reigns as he sits into the stroke seat, and will be backed up by Gerry Mannion, Harry Feeney and Thomas Hume in the seats behind him.
University of Galway Boat Club B (UGBC)
The B crew from University of Galway Boat Club is an extremely young crew to be racing at the senior level with all four rowers having just completed their junior year last season. With three members of the crew having missed out on a National Championship last year by milliseconds, they will want to lay down the gauntlet in their inaugural race with the University of Galway.
Commercial Boat Club A
Having mainly focused on their senior eight project last year, it is hard to know what to expect from Commercial Boat Club’s A boat. That being said, the boat is still made up of seasoned athletes like Colum Brennan and Allison MacDara, whose racing experience could see this crew over the finish line with a win.
Commercial Boat Club B
Moving from the stroke seat of last season’s senior eight into the stroke seat of Commercial’s senior coxless four is Jack Smyth who will be joined by his senior eight crewmate Andrej Liadov, as well as Aaron Hurley and Adam Browne. After last season’s disappointing third place finish in the senior eight could moving to the fours lead to victory at long last for Commercial?
Prediction
It is still very early in the season, and there is all to play for, so it is hard to predict who will rise to the top this weekend. However, I do predict that University of Galway’s A crew will build on their experience from last season and take the win this weekend, but Commercial definitely could throw a spanner in the works.
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