Belfast almost too good for their own good

ROWING/ Henley Regatta: For a man who had just seen three of his crews win on the first day of Henley Royal Regatta, Garth Young was self-effacing. "It's a bit of a worry, really," said the Belfast Rowing Club coach last night. He wasn't entirely joking.

Belfast have 10 men at Henley, spread over an eight, which beat Auriol Kensington in the Thames Cup, and two fours which beat Birmingham and Milton Keynes easily late in the evening in the Wyfold for coxless fours. The wins made up half of Ireland's victory list on the day.

"Six men will be rowing twice tomorrow," said Young, pointing out that three more wins would make for a punishing programme for the sextet tomorrow.

That the evening races were relatively tame and none of the crews face seeded opponents today means this is not entirely beyond the bounds of possibility.

"Still, we couldn't asked for a better day," said 39-year-old Young, who is in his early days as a coach. "It's the first year I've been let loose on a crew," joked the man who as an oarsman won both a Henley title, the Britannia, and a pot at the Irish National Championships, in the senior coxed four, in 1994.

Limerick oarsmen also had a generally successful day yesterday. While their Thames Cup eight, which is an intermediate crew, were beaten by seeded crew Agecroft, St Michael's saw their selected crew in the Britannia get through by half a length.

Stroked by Limerickman Kevin O'Connor, Neptune also won in the Thames Cup.

Ireland's other win on the day came from the expected quarter of Trinity College, who were seeded in the Temple Cup for student eights and had two lengths to spare over the University of York.

Cornell University are likely to meet them tomorrow, and are a good crew. "Assuming we make it through tomorrow that'll be a very good race," said Trinity coach Tim Levy.

UCD failed to make it through their first contest in the Temple Cup, losing out to Oxford Brookes B crew.

The Oxford Brookes A crew had an easy win, however, and have an Irishman with a famous name in the boat. Jack Drea is a son of one of the most famous Irish rowers of all, Seán Drea.

A tough draw finished off the chances of Queen's University in the Prince Albert for student coxed fours. Imperial College saw them off easily. Queen's coach David Storrs was unable to travel from Belfast and missed his charges' one race at Henley. "I'm on crutches with a broken metatarsal. I'd do anything to be fashionable!" he said.

TODAY: (Irish interest): 10am: Thames Cup (Eights, Club): Belfast RC v Mortlake Anglian and Alpha A. 10.30: Temple (Eights, Student): Trinity College v University of Birmingham. 12.05pm: Visitors (Four, Intermediate): Galway/Skibbereen v ASR Nereus, The Netherlands. 2.40: Visitors: Shannon v Crabtree and Bosporos BC. 3.30: Thames: Agecroft v Neptune. 5.40: Wyfold (Four, Club): Belfast RC v Staines BC. 6.40: Wyfold: Belfast v Nottingham and Union RC. 6.50: Diamond Sculls (Open Single): J Devitt v W King. 7.05: Temple: Oxford Brookes A v Liverpool University.