With a week of intermittent wind and rain, the signs were not looking good for the 124th running of Galway Regatta on Sunday last, but what a day it turned out to be. With the sun breaking through from early morning, signs were good for a great days racing on the Menlo Straight.

With local club Galway Rowing Club hosting the event, racing kicked off at 9am, and continued right throughout the day until 6pm, with crews from around the country battling for honours over the 700 metre course. And the competition didn’t disappoint, with some very tight finishes throughout the day.

For the host club, it was to prove a rather historic occasion. Not only did the Galway Rowing Club win the Best Overall Club at the regatta, they also collected a few very precious trophies during the day.

Traditionally, the event of the day at the regatta is the Men’s Junior 18 8+, racing for The Anderson Cup, and indeed it proved to be one of many fantastic races on Sunday, with three local clubs battling it out to win the coveted trophy; Coláiste Iognáid, Galway RC and St Josephs ‘The Bish’.

The action kicked off at 3pm, with the high rating Bish crew taking an quick and early lead of almost half a length over the first 200 metres. The Galway RC crew then found their gear and started clawing them back, leaving the 3rd place Jes crew behind. Passing through the enclosure it was Galway that held the momentum, drawing level and passing the Bish 8+.

With a canvas advantage, Galway hoped to push on but the Bish crew gallantly fought back, not willing to give up their grasp on the Trophy they won in 2011, and made it a real race to the line. In the end, it was judged to be a mere one foot that separated the two crews, with the result going to Galway RC, for the first time in 24 years and only the second time in the club’s history.

There were other great victories during the day. The Women’s Senior 4+ event proved to be another great win for Galway RC crew, comprising of Junior 17 girls, who stepped up to race the older and more experienced NUIG crew, and pull off a major upset. Both clubs clashed again in the Women’s Intermediate 8+, with the Galway girls again gaining victory.

NUIG captured the Senior 8+ event, winning by another close one foot margin, in what was another fantastic race on the Corrib. In the Junior 18 8+ event, the Galway crew were racing local Junior rivals, Coláiste Iognáid and that too proved to be another fine performance from both clubs, with victory going to Galway RC.

There was also great wins for the Junior 16 rowers in the club, with wins in the Women’s J16 8+ from Shannon RC, the Women’s J15 4X+, Women’s J15 2X, Women’s J15 1X, Men’s Novice 4X+, Men’s J18 4X.