Garda crew facing tough opener

THE Garda senior eight have been drawn against the seeded crew, Frankfurter from Germany, in the Thames Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta where racing starts tomorrow.

Neptune Boat Club will take on Thames Rowing Club and Lady Elizabeth BC will take on Green Lake Crew in the same competition.

Athlunkard BC from Limerick face Agecroft RC from England in the Britannia Cup for coxed fours, while in the Student Four Cup, Trinity College Dublin take on Trinity College, Hartford, USA with NUIG in against Reading University.

The Irish lightweight eight take to the water in their first competitive race when they attempt to win the Ladies Plate. They are racing under the colours of Tara Rowing Club and have been drawn against the University of California.

In the Quadruple Sculls event, a Neptune/Commerical composite crew will race against Bath.

Fresh from her Henley victory a week earlier, Garda’s Caroline Ryan was in action at the Amsterdam International Regatta over the weekend.

She turned in an outstanding performance to finish second in the repechage and gain qualification for the A Final with no less than four of the six finalists drawn from Olympic gold and silver medallists.

Victory went to Katerina Karsten from Belarus, the current Olympic silver medallist, who won gold medals in both Sydney and Atlanta. Caroline finished sixth.

It was her final race before travelling to Cork to compete in the Irish National Championships on July 14.

In the Lightweight Double Scull event, the Commercial duo of Becky Quinn and Vanessa Lawrenson beat five Dutch crews to take the title and they also put in a good performance to finish second in the Heavyweight Double Scull event.