The forecast during the week had not been good, but as Saturday morning dawned, it became apparent that the weather would hold and the 50th race would take place with 59 crews competing.
Logistically, this is a big exercise to run but the army of volunteers led by Robert Northridge and Derek Holland were able to ensure a safe voyage was had by all.
The race started on time and was won fittingly by Trinity College, who also won the first race in 1957. A number of members of that crew and the three other crews actually turned up to watch!
Portora had hopes of winning the Junior 18 squad and Junior 16 eight events and did not disappoint, beating the bigger Belfast schools in the process. These crews are still not the finished article but did enough to suggest the season promises much.
Stroked by William Melanophy and Mark Coulter respectively, they actually finished the 41/4 miles in identical times!
The Portora girls crew had an exciting tussle with their counterparts from the same club and also beat some excellent novice crews.
They are in good shape, as demonstrated by the time that they took to row the distance, 25 minutes and 55 seconds.
Some of these young ladies have only recently learned to row and have not been put off by the poor weather in the weeks leading up to the race. All further races this season are much shorter.
Four schools were represented in this crew, whose members are: Jenny Russell, 2 Jade Judge, 3 Lauren Dempster, 4 Holly Nixon, 5 Cathryn Gamble, 6 Harriet Peel, 7 Alex Hamilton, Stroke - Rebecca Humphreys; Cox - Georgia Loughurst.
Winning J18 Squad: Thomas Little, John Sheridan, Finn Gebler, William Melanophy.
Winning J16 squad: James Arnold, Mark Coalter, Jason Burns, Stephen Prentice, Richard Irvine, Greg Shields. Ross Chapman, Andrew Little and James Byrne.
Later in the evening, a gala dinner for 120 rowers and friends took place in the school where a wonderful pictorial record of the 50 years had been set up.
In an amusing and thoughtful speech, Robert Northridge gave a potted history of the event and remarked that it was an extremely special day in that there was a total eclipse of the moon, as well as the 50th Erne Head, a fitting tribute to the best Head of the River Race in Ireland!
