EMMA TWIGG’S 2024 INTERNATIONAL ROWING CAMPAIGN TOOK SLR ON A EUROPEAN TOUR, EXPOSING THE BRAND TO NEW REGIONS AND BUILDING A BUZZ WHEREVER THE ELITE RACING SCULL APPEARED.
It was en route to the Paris Olympics at the World’s Masters Regatta that passionate rowing aficionados and second-generation boat repair business owners, brother and sister Brendan and Sandra, saw the boat firsthand and instantly recognised the potential to bring SL Racing to Ireland.
With a need to support the growing rowing community with an innovative, high-quality range of fast racing boats, we caught up with Sandra to get a bit of background on our newest team members and learn more about their plans for the future launching SLR into Ireland.
What’s your background in rowing?
We were born into the sport of rowing through our late father Dermot. He was a very successful oarsman who competed in the Diamond Sculls in the renowned Henley Royal Regatta and won a National Championship in a maiden fours.
Brendan and I have both rowed from the ages of 11/12 in our local club, Clonmel RC. During our junior years, we competed at a high level within our club and represented Ireland internationally.
While Brendan went on to coach within our club, I remained rowing and competing in both river and coastal events, nationally and internationally.
In more recent times, Brendan has been a silver medallist in the indoor World Championships, and I competed at the World Masters regatta in Brandenburg in the women’s double and won gold. We are also a 2nd generation, family-run boat repair business started by our father in Ireland over 40 years ago. We are the only full-time racing boat repair service in Ireland, making us a household name in the rowing community, and our expertise in repairs means we service boats throughout the country and for our national team.
What do you think makes an SLR boat so unique?
We are highly impressed with the standard of finish of the SLR boats. Their attention to detail in the design process, the strides to constant improvements, and their in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge materials stood out for us. They are also very innovative, with some very clever but simple solutions to problems.
SL Racing offers a high-quality racing shell that is up there with the best in the business; however, the stark difference between SL Racing boats and their competitors is that SLRs are considerably better built. The result is a premium-class hull with cutting-edge materials without the premium price tag.
What are your goals for SL Racing in Ireland over the coming years?
Currently, while plenty of budget boats are sold here, the Irish market suffers from a lack of choice of high-class boats. We aim to offer a selection of premium hulls that SL Racing can produce, fulfilling the need for a high-quality racing boat with a competitive price tag that will appeal to the Irish rowing community.
We would see our role promoting SL Racing boats within Ireland and possibly Europe. We see this happening through meeting people face to face at regattas on the back of our network and the trust we have earned in our repairs business. We also have the experience to answer any questions or queries of any prospective buyers and to reassure them that the backup service they have become used to with our boat repair business extends to SL Racing.
SL Racing has produced a world-class fleet of boats, and when partnered with the right team of Brendan and I, who will promote their product and offer an excellent aftercare service, we think the sky is the limit for SL Racing.
