Everyone to the boats as elite crews battle it out

ROWING:If you want to examine Irish rowing in all its strengths and weaknesses, today is the day. To do this, however, you have to look in two directions at once: to Lucerne in Switzerland, where an elite team of 17 contests the final World Cup regatta, and to the National Rowing Centre in Cork, where the two-day National Championships begin.

In Lucerne, at least two of the crews have real hopes of making the A Final in Olympic events; in the newly opened NRC there is a huge entry in underage and novice boats, though the senior ranks are worryingly thin.

Only four men's senior eights are entered, and NUIG will be favourites. The opposition is not to be dismissed, however. Trinity won at the Queen's and Metro regattas, and the Shannon/St Michael's combination, with a former world champion aboard in Sam Lynch, took the honours at Athlone and Cork.

Commercial's crew, stroked by Ciarán Nolan, is "intended as a development eight", according to coach Gerry Cantan.

The senior single scull could provide the best racing: Rory O'Connor of the Ireland under-23 team should be favourite. Lightweight Dave Heffernan, fresh from a win at Henley, lines up, as do two other proven lightweights, Diarmaid Mac Colgáin, and Danny O'Dowd. There are big men in John Wholley and Rob Michael, as well as Ulster's Stephen Archibald.

The women's senior eight looks like UCD's to lose, as only Commercial and a combination of Muckross, Neptune and Waterford oppose them.

Again, the senior single could provide the hottest competition.

Helen Walshe is the holder. She looked set for a good run in the international team this year, until injury put paid to ambitions in that context.

Siobhán Jacob (a former champion), Laura Gannon and Heather Armstrong are also entered, but two of the biggest threats to Walshe are young women who competed for Ireland in the lightweight single scull at the second World Cup in Amsterdam: Orla Hayes of Skibbereen and Siobhán McCrohan of Tribesmen.

In Lucerne, meanwhile, Derry's Orlagh Duddy takes to the Rotsee (The Red Lake, aka "the Lake of the Gods"), hoping to complete the sequence of making each of the A finals in the World Cups this year.

Ireland's lightweight four have a remodelled crew, Liam Molloy coming in for the injured Richard Archibald, and Colm Moynihan competing in only his second regatta. A place in the A Final here would be a fine result.

The men's four of Seán O'Neill, Cormac Folan, Seán Casey and Alan Martin will be intent on extending their good form after finishing fifth in Amsterdam.

Ireland have had to make a change in the quadruple scull, Seán Jacob being taken out of the single scull to replace Con Collis.

The lightweight double of Sinéad Jennings and Niamh Ní Chéilleachair are not guaranteed success in a class shaken up this season by Denmark and Canada, both in action here.

In the single, Caroline Ryan gets her chance to prove she is of the quality to give Ireland a chance of Olympic qualification.

With 330 crews entered from 41 countries, one thing is certain: it will not be easy, even for Ireland's elite.