Irish contingent bid to make a mark at Henley

Irish crews make up nine of the 133 overseas boats in a record entry of 499 crews at this year’s Henley Royal Regatta, beginning today.

Although the number of our athletes competing (29) is the lowest in recent memory, there is substantial interest in three of the Open Events. Sanita Puspure, recently qualified for London 2012 in the single sculls and whose training is based at the National Rowing Centre atFarran in Cork, is a selected sculler in the Princess Royal, last won by Caroline Ryan in 2008.

John Keohane (Lee Valley Rowing Club), a former world champion coastal rower with Kilmacsimon in 2010, is entered in the Diamond Sculls, famously won three times in the mid-1970s by the legendary Sean Drea. Brian Williamson also goes in this event. Rowing Ireland has a composite quadruple scull (Noel Kenny, Anthony English, Henry Pelly, Mark O’Donovan) entered as UCC & London (Pelly is an Old Etonian and former Cambridge Blue president) in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup. These events begin later in the week.

Cork Boat Club’s coxless four (JP Collins, Stephen Carroll, Colm Dowling, Shane MacEoin) enter the fray today with a race against Cardiff City in the Wyfold Challenge Cup and will be hoping, with the benefit of the slightly favoured slacker stream on the Berkshire Station, to progress to meet either Rob Roy or Henley RC in the second round.

Today’s race details: 9.50am, P. ALBERT (Queen’s University, Belfast v Imperial College, London); 12.15 WYFOLD (Cork BC v Cardiff City RC); 2.35pm THAMES (Trinity College, Dublin v University of Michigan).