ROWING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:THE NATIONAL Rowing Centre in Farran Wood in Cork was buzzing with activity yesterday on the eve of its busiest two days of the year.

A new mobile grandstand was manoeuvred into position to oversee the finish line of what could be one of the most competitive National Championships in years.

The event, sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, is the big-boat leg of a two-legged championships, with the small boats getting their chance in September. Run by a new organising committee, the championships come at the high point of a busy year, and a big non-championship programme will give a chance for hundreds of younger athletes to compete alongside the elite.

Last year’s championships were memorable for a thrilling finish in the key race; NUIG’s senior eight beat Queen’s University on the line for the “Big Pot”. A season on, the Queen’s top eight, fresh from reaching the semi-final of the Temple Cup at Henley, are favourites to gain revenge for that defeat.

However, the sheer range of talent across all 10 crews vying for this title means this battle cannot fairly be characterised as a two-horse race. Muckross alone have three men who competed in the Beijing Olympics in their boat – Cathal Moynihan returns from an Ireland training camp in Switzerland to join Paul Griffin and Seán Casey in a boat which has been improving in each outing.

The wind blew at Farran Wood yesterday, and more of the same tomorrow could discommode the two composite crews which feature a range of talent. UCD’s four Henley winners join up with three of Commercial’s senior four (Raphael Peguet has stepped away) and Seán Jacob in one of these; in the other, Boat Race oarsman Martin Walsh joins Ciarán Lewis and Michael Bailey in a crew built around Galway Rowing Club oarsmen.

And there, as ever, are St Michael’s, with the evergreen Sam Lynch at stroke. Carlow, Neptune and University of Limerick are also entered, alongside Queen’s University’s second crew. A break-out performance by any of these would not be a shock, but Queen’s first crew is the tip for the Big Pot come tomorrow evening.

In the women’s senior eight, Commercial also look like deserving favourites. A “super eight” built around scullers from no less than seven clubs will need a good start if they are to test the crew which has been the best so far this season. NUIG, Trinity, and a UCD crew supplemented by Siobhán Jacob of Old Collegians complete the line-up.

Today’s action is set to begin at 9am with time trials for the men’s junior 16 single scull. Early finals include the women’s intermediate eight – Portora’s juniors shoot it out with Trinity, NUIG and UCD – and the men’s equivalent.

The highlight of the day should be an extraordinarily-open men’s senior four final, scheduled for 3.52. The UCD crew which won the Prince Albert at Henley (sans cox) might look like favourites, but NUIG looked hot at Metropolitan regatta and Muckross, stinging from an unsuccessful outing at Henley, may be hottest of all. Two Queen’s crews, St Michael’s, Cork and two very strong looking composites complete the line-up.

One club comes to the championships with just two crews competing (a junior coxed four and eight) and great prospects of glory. Bann’s seven-hour trek from Coleraine should be worth it when not long after midday they will take on eight other crews in the men’s junior 18 eights. Again, every crew in the line-up have realistic hopes of an upset in what should be another great contest.