The Irish selectors, the competitive rowing committee of the Rowing Union, have opted to send the quadruple scull from the Commercial club to the second leg of the rowing World Cup in Hazewinkel as one of the official Irish entries in two weeks time.
This decision is the most interesting in what will be a big Irish representation at the event. The Commercial quad had competed in the first leg of the World Cup in Munich, wearing the Irish singlet but without financial backing from the Union, and finished third. Their coach, Mick Desmond, felt that this should gain them selection for the Belgian event, but this was by no means a certainty.
A lightweight men's four will be sent - despite the injury to the experienced crew member Tony O'Connor. Noel Monahan will slot into O'Connor's role. National coach Thor Nilsen feels that, on balance, it is better to err on the side of entering a four, even if it may change again on O'Connor's return. "It is good to have possibilities," he said during trials on Saturday at Blessington.
The Trinity pair of Andrew Coleman and James Lindsay-Fynn has also been chosen, and a double scull of Owen Byrne and Eugene Coakley will also compete. A lightweight women's quad has been chosen but the heavyweight quad is not making the trip. Awful weather led to the abandonment of some of the second day's races in London's Docklands regatta yesterday. However, Garda Siochana won the novice eights on the Saturday and the senior two eights yesterday. UCD also won yesterday, in the senior three eights.
Irish Team for World Cup regatta in Hazewinkel: Men, Sweep rowing - Lightweight four (N Maxwell, B Dolan, D Holland, N Monahan). Pair (A Coleman, J Lindsay-Fynn). Sculling - Heavyweight, Single (A Maher) (Club sculler, D Hanrahan also entered). Lightweight, Quad (N Byrne, N O'Toole, E O'Brien, D McGuinness); Double (E Coakley, O Byrne); Single (G Towey, J Armstrong).
Women: Lightweight Quad (A Phelan, H Dixon, M Terry, A Houlihan; Spare: S Foreman).
Coaches: J Holland, M Desmond, B Currivan, M Kay.
Docklands Regatta (At London) Selected results: Saturday: Eights, Open: 1, London; 2, Bow Bridge; 3 Neptune. Senior Two: 1, UCD; 2, Commercial; 3, Garda Siochana. Novice: 1, Garda Siochana; 2, Thames; 3, University of Bristol. Four, Open coxed: 1, Oxford; 2, Queen's Tower; 3, Neptune. Novice: 3, Garda Siochana.
Sculling, Single - Senior Two: 1, Tideway Scullers; 2, Tideway Scullers; 3, Neptune (Buckley). Senior Three: 1, London; 2, Lady Victoria BC (Marron), 3 Galway (Heaney). Novice Single: 1, Belfast; 2, Calpe; 3, UCD.
Sunday: Eights, Senior Two: 1, Garda Siochana; 2, Commercial; 3, Reading. Senior Three: 1, UCD; University of Bristol; 3, Imperial College.
Fours, Open coxed: 1, London; 2, Neptune; 3 Moseley. Senior Two coxed: 1, UCD A; 2, UCD B; 3, Calpe. Senior Three coxed: 1, Garda Siochana; 2, Reading; 3, Marlow.
Sculling, Single - Senior Two: 1, Castle Dore; 2, Neptune; 3 RAF.
