Rowing: As some of the biggest names in Irish rowing came off the water looking shell-shocked after finishing the Leinster Regional Trial at Blessington Lakes yesterday, Eugene Coakley summed it up perfectly: "There's fewer waves out where Gags and Ciarán Lewis are. I think I'd prefer to be there!"

The Skibbereen man's reference to the Atlantic Challenge, in which Gearóid Towey and Ciarán Lewis are well up with the leaders, covering over 240 miles by last night, did not look too far off the mark.

Sam Lynch, recovered from a recent bout of flu, headed Coakley for fastest single sculler home, with Jonny Devitt third.

In the first head, the pair of Dave Kealy and Rob Laird were fastest home.

But even when the women went out, in the much better conditions, Caroline Ryan had to relaunch her boat after crashing.

Heather Boyle was the fastest female single sculler.

Commercial sculler Rob Michael had taken the chance to compete in his first trial after being told that his controversial suspension was effectively lifted: it was deemed to have run out on November 30th.

In Cork yesterday, Seán Casey confirmed that he is a fine heavyweight single sculler by bringing his boat home fastest of all the crews over the longer distance of 5,000 metres.

Richard Coakley was the first lightweight home, but he was a full 23 seconds behind Casey.

The St Michael's pair of Niall Kenny and Dan Barry were the first home at the Limerick trial yesterday.

In Ulster, also yesterday, the Queen's University pair of Gavin Meek and Eamonn Rafferty took that honour in 16 minutes 56 seconds, while international Richard Archibald was second home, six seconds later.

The outstanding pair of the moment, Alan Martin and Cormac Folan, were far and away the fastest boat on the River Corrib in the Galway trial on Saturday.