All-women crew in bid to make rowing history

Twelve Irish women will make sporting history this week when they become the country’s first ladies’ rowing crew to race across the Irish sea.

The Celtic Challenge from Arklow in Co Wicklow to Aberystwyth in Wales takes place on Saturday and the women from Arklow Rowing Club are in the final days of training for the gruelling 90-mile feat.

Classed as the world’s longest sea rowing race, crews from Wales, England, Ireland and as far afield as Germany compete in the biennial marathon with up to 17 hours at sea.

Ranging in age from 20 to over 50 the women have been balancing family and work life with the rigours of intensive, almost daily training since last summer.

“We’re all physically ready at the moment,” said team spokesperson Claire Tyrrell, 27.

“It is the mental challenge that has us more apprehensive. We don’t know what’s ahead of us. But it’s a nervous excitement, that’s the best way to describe it.”

The Challenge has been running since 1988 when a crew from Aberystwyth Lifeboat rowed from Aberystwyth to Arklow for a fundraising event, taking well over 20 hours to complete the course.

Then from 1993 the race started from Arklow and has taken place every second year with 15 crews signed up for the 2008 event.

It is open to all four-oared fixed-seat boats with a cox, with races for both men and women.

Normal class entries are Celtic longboat, Pembrokeshire longboat, Irish East Coast skiff, Irish All Ireland class boat and a variety of Thames skiffs.

The boats will have a crew of four and a safety launch will travel alongside to facilitate the changing over of rowers throughout the race.

As they enter the final week the women are training almost every evening, with circuits, night-time rowing, long haul rows, running and cycling, all overseen by Arklow Rowing Club founders Eamonn and Peter Kavanagh.

In 1997 they made history by becoming the first Irish men to row the Atlantic Ocean.

All the ladies are from the Arklow area and hold down full time jobs, with two teachers, an architect, a nurse and a bank official among the dedicated crew.

“The girls are doing well but we had a bit of a disaster when one of the girls fell and broke her collarbone last week. So she’s going to have to bow out,” Ms Tyrrell said.

“It’s just heartbreaking having come through all the months of training and then just shy of the event have that to happen.

“It’s tough for everyone at the moment. My other half is on the men’s crew, and we’re like ships in the night because they train alternate evenings. In that sense it’s hectic in that way, so to just have it over will be great.

“But to be able to say you were in the first all women crew to do it, it really is an achievement.”

The women’s race begins on Saturday afternoon, weather permitting, with crews expected in Aberystwyth by early Sunday.