New date for McGowan's start

ROWING:SEÁN McGOWAN will have a traditional Christmas, but one he never expected. The 41-year-old Limerick father of four, who plans to become the first Irishman to row solo across the Atlantic, discovered yesterday that the weather-delayed race from La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua will now start on December 29th.

“In my boat I had a little red Christmas and a two-inch square piece of Christmas cake. I had Christmas Day planned out in my mind.

“It was (to be) one of the big days of the race and I had planned out how I was going to get over it. So it is great I am going to spend it at home,” he said yesterday.

“At the same time you’re going to be sitting down having your turkey Christmas day and thinking ‘tomorrow morning I’m gone again’. It’s hanging over you. I’d much rather have been gone on the 6th (of December, the original starting date).”

Ironically, the Ireland McGowan returned to because of a strange kink in the climate off the Canaries has had good rowing weather.

The first rowing trial of the season last weekend was run off in perfect conditions.

Ireland’s performance director Martin McElroy explained yesterday that his policy of not publicising full results from his assessment programme arises because he believes such a record can provide valuable benchmark data for opponents and their coaches when the athletes compete internationally.

One of the other discussion points about the weekend was the large number of competitors who did make it to Sunday’s time trial. The ergometer tests on Saturday ended the hopes of top-class international competition this season for 40 hopefuls. Just over 100 athletes remain.