COBRAColeraine Alumni Rowing Association I s s u e 12— 2019 Coleraine To Tokyo Molly Curry competes at the Junior Worlds This summer, Coleraine Grammar School before beginning her travels to Tokyo. would suffer once they have arrived in Rowing Club made history by having our This was to facilitate a training camp Japan. A nice perk of this extended time first pupil selected to represent Ireland on organised and hosted by Rowing Ireland training at the National Rowing Centre the world stage at Junior level. Our year to best prepare the athletes who were to was the possibility to row alongside the 13 pupil, Molly Curry, was selected to be competing in Tokyo. The six-week Senior and U23 boats also training at that compete in Tokyo, Japan at the World training camp was relentless, training time. A memory Molly and Rhiannon will Rowing Junior Championships 2019. Quite twice a day - six days a week. Putting in no doubt treasure for years to come. special that the Junior Worlds venue is the thousands and thousands of metres each Following this six-week marathon of same location as is selected for the 2020 session (some days totalling as many as rowing (eat, sleep, repeat), Molly began Olympic Games. Molly and her crew-mate 50km); taking to heart the words always her 24-hour journey to Japan. Once in Rhiannon, from Killorglin Rowing Club, uttered by the late great Bobbie Platt Tokyo, the athletes had a few days off would compete in the Woman’s Junior 2x MBE, “Mileage make champions”. The before taking to the course the day before category. coaches would start the training sessions racing would begin. This was as much of a in the mornings at 5am to try to prepare Molly travelled to Cork to the National familiarisation the crews would get before the athletes for the inevitable jet lag they Rowing Centre in June, some weeks being launched onto the world rowing scene. Unluckily for Molly, the Junior Woman’s 2x is a hotly contested event with 22 entries. Molly and Rhiannon raced through heats, a repechage, semi-finals and eventually qualified for the A Final. An amazing achievement in itself. At this point in the competition the girls had already out performed some of the main countries in World Rowing - Great Britain, Italy, USA, Canada and Spain to name only a few. The final was a fantastic race, for those that had the pleasure to watch it. Molly and Rhiannon were competing with top class competition. A start list that consisted of crews from The Netherlands, China, Lithuania, Germany, Greece and Ireland is one that would put fear into even the most seasoned athletes and distance of the Germans in 4th and well first time some 3 three years earlier is crews in the world. The girls rowed a ahead of the Greeks in 6th. simply outstanding. It is also worth noting fantastic race, heading out of the starting that Molly was only 17 she achieved this block hard and fast, settling into a solid It's hard to put into words just how proud result, with another year in the sport at race rhythm and battling with the everyone at Coleraine Grammar School junior level who knows what she can Germans and the Greeks for most of the Rowing Club and COBRA are of this achieve. Well done Molly! 2000m course. The girls crossed the line in achievement. To be 5th in the world in a an impressive 5th place, within touching sport that Molly only experienced for the Jamie Gibson COBRA Members 2018/19 After a spell out of the sport, Graham representing Ireland. He placed second in Hunter returned to full time racing with the single at the Home International Vesta RC in London. Notable results Regatta and raced in Greece in the U23 include a 4th place in the Challenge IV+ European Championships. He didn’t make category at Head of the River Fours and the A final this time, but the outlook looks placing 63rd overall at the Head of the positive as he has plenty more years at River Race for eights. He was desperately U23 to make his mark. unlucky to miss out on qualifying for the Richard Chambers had an extremely Wyfold Challenge Cup at Henley Royal successful season coaching at Cambridge Regatta, missing out by barely a second. University. He coached the Goldie crew to He is looking forward to stepping on again a comprehensive win over Isis and also this season. coached the Great Britain U23 Mens IV- to Hugh Moore has made a strong a gold medal at the U23 World impression in his first season rowing with Championships in Florida. He has now Queen’s University Belfast. Particular taken up the position of Women’s Coach highlights include a first place in the at his alma matter, Oxford Brookes. Intermediate 4x category at BUCS Head in Closer to home, Calum McBurney has Gloucester and silver and bronze medals been competing all over Ireland with in the Champ Lightweight 2x and Belfast Rowing Club. He made the journey Intermediate 1x respectively. He also with his IV+ crew mates to Henley Royal made his debut on the international scene Regatta to compete in the Britannia 2 Challenge Cup. Sadly due to the level of Johnson with coaching at Coleraine GSRC, Gary Bones and Alan Martin being CAI old competition present, they failed to qualify offering invaluable help throughout the boys. the boat. However the experience will be 2018/19 season. Corey McDowell joined It is fantastic to see COBRA members still forever etched in memory as he plans to the coaching team in January 2019 after involved with the sport – if you are taking up his game for another seasons racing. finishing coaching with Wanganui part competitively by racing or coaching Collegiate School in New Zealand. Parents Jamie Gibson, Ross Cochrane and Alan or just rowing recreationally, please get in also continue to help out as well, with Anderson continue to assist Jeremy contact! The ‘Mickey Eyre’ On Wednesday 27th November 2019, Mickey Eyre had on Coleraine Grammar School Rowing Club the boys he held a boat naming ceremony in coached, it came memory of the late Mr Mickey Eyre. The from Olympian Iain Headmaster, Vice Principal, Chairman of Kennedy, who said the Board of Governors, Mrs Eyre, her quite simply - ‘He son and daughter and Coleraine changed my life’. Academical Institution Old Boys were Following the invited to this very poignant event. Mr speeches, Eyre was the rowing master at CAI proceedings then throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s moved from the and also Vice Principal in later years. A school library to the delicious lunch was enjoyed by all prior boat house. Mrs to the commencement of speeches. This Eyre graciously was a great opportunity for people to named the boat in share heartfelt memories of Mickey and memory of her to articulate how his coaching impacted husband and said a their lives, even to this day, through the few kind words of sentiment to all those sport of rowing at CAI. It was also a For Iain Kennedy’s sincere words and who made the day possible. The boat great privilege for everyone to memories and to Alan Anderson, who was then taken to the river by our club recapture the fond memories of Mrs also shared his memories and whose Captains and Vice Captains for a short Eyre and how she attended regattas very kind donation made it all possible. christening row. This was a prime with her husband and contributed by Also, thanks to David McDonald for opportunity for photos to be taken as shouting from the banks for the school taking photographs of this memorable the boat took to the water for the first boys rowing past. If there is one quote event. time. We would like to convey a huge to take away from the afternoon that thank you to all those who attended the Jamie Gibson conveys just how much of an impact ceremony, and for making it so special. 3 A Coach’s Memoirs Sid Grey I came to Coleraine in Autumn 1968, wins. They were 2nd at the Irish Senior expectations growing. With the very fast recruited by the famous Head George championships, splitting the Irish Senior ’96 crew and an unbeaten Colts crew plus Humphries. At that time five masters squad. The VIII+ won the junior Alan Campbell, I looked forward to really helped in the Boat Club. Some change! championships with two Bann oarsmen. knocking the door at Henley though it sadly was not to be. In charge was ‘Mickey’ Eyre who took over After this year we were at a lower level the club in 1956. Before this time, it but we did go to Chester and Northridge From this generation: rowed at a low level and had low Regattas in Cheshire over quite a few Brendan Smyth - competed at Henley for expectations. He brought it up to rowing years winning at Junior and also in Senior over 20 years: 2 finals with TCD, one lost at Henley and in the Senior levels. On one occasion we received as a by 2 feet. Championships and winning Irish Junior trophy of a silver covered oar which was Championships. I know he kept records, proudly brought home. It was the oar of Richard Boomer - finalist with UL in the but I don’t think the school kept them, a Andrew Irvine who had rowed for Oxford. Wyfolds. pity. He disappeared near the summit of James Boomer - rowed for Leander and Everest with George Mallory in 1924.