Plenty of quality at Grand League

ROWING:METROPOLITAN REGATTA tomorrow at Blessington promises another bumper day of action on the fourth outing of the Grand League.

The volume of entries may have led to a curtailment to a single day, but there is plenty of quality on offer in a packed programme which runs from 8am until after 6pm. The water level will be low, however, and there are concerns that rising winds may prove a spoilsport.

The men’s senior eight features the top three from Cork Regatta – NUIG, St Michael’s and Muckross. Galway complete the senior entry, but four intermediate eights and Bann’s junior crew complete a good-looking line-up in what is deemed Division One of the Grand League. Bann were very impressive at Queen’s Regatta, finishing fourth behind two Queen’s crews and Neptune.

The men’s senior four, traditionally the “Blue Riband” at Metro, sees Commercial and a Trinity under-23 four join crews from the four senior entrants in the eights. This final is scheduled for 12.45.

The single scull event was badly managed in Cork but the Grand League organisers have put in place what they hope will be a fail safe system for Metro. Forty-four competitors are back in action in Division One here. Gearóid Duane of Garda Boat Club has been setting the pace and should do it again tomorrow.

There are two added factors which could make this a competitive day: crews for the Home Internationals will be chosen on the basis of results in the singles and pairs races, and Neptune have a chance of moving ahead of Skibbereen on the Grand League table if they get a good run of results.

The closing date for entries for Henley Royal Regatta is on Monday. Because of the lateness of the World Championships, this year’s event is expected to be one of the best in years, and Irish crews have already begun their build-up. A number of “raiders” did well at (London) Metropolitan Regatta at Dorney Lake last weekend. On the Saturday, UCD and Commercial finished first and second in the senior coxless fours, while NUIG took third in the women’s senior eights and second in the women’s intermediate one coxed fours. University of Limerick also won the women’s intermediate three coxed fours.

Meanwhile, the graph of cross-community Enniskillen club Portora continues on an upward trend. The construction of a new boathouse costing €360,000 was given the thumbs up by the trustees of Portora Royal School on Wednesday night.

“We hope to have it built in about 10 months,” said head coach Derek Holland yesterday.