ATHLETES from Portora Boat Club travelled to Lough Rynn in County Leitrim to compete in the Rowing Ireland 1k Classic.
This event raced over 1000m on a six lane buoyed course is the highlight of the Masters rowing season in Ireland. The event combines over 27 year old rowers with racing for under 15s, and attracted over 1000 competitors from 46 clubs representing Ulster, Munster, Connaught and Leinster. The event has grown and had twenty percent more competitors than in 2024.
The women’s quadruple sculls event had seventeen entries. Portora finished an excellent third in the women’s over 50s and fourth in the over 60 category. The women’s 8 had twelve entries and the ladies from Fermanagh finished fourth in the over 55 age group.
In men’s events there were twenty-two entries in the double sculls, with two third places for Portora in the over 43 and over 65 age categories.
Club stalwart Gerry Murphy may have missed out on the double sculls title but stormed to victory in the over 65 single scull event. He followed this up with a win in the over 65 eights in a composite crew with Galway, City of Derry and Commercial of Dublin.
Women’s Captain Cheryl Ballantine commented: “The 1k Classic is a relatively new event in the rowing calendar but it’s getting bigger and bigger.
“The number and quality of Masters crews in Ireland is amazing. We would like to thank Rowing Ireland and the organisers for making such a wonderful event possible just an hour from home, well done too to the young rowers from ERBC.”
The main rowing season is over until October but light training will continue for Portora on Lough Erne from the Northridge Boathouse.