ROWING Rowing Ireland's new season gets underway at Blessington Lake this weekend with revamped competition format

Over 400 rowers are expected in Blessingtion this weekend as Rowing Ireland's new season gets underway with a new national competition format. The new national format involves a series of time trial Head of the River races. This first national event at Blessington is hosted by Neptune Rowing Club (Islandbridge, Dublin) and takes place this Saturday 7th November.

Pat McInerney, Rowing Ireland's Coach Development Officer, explained, "The organization wanted to create more focused national competition that would provide a platform for the better long term development of our scullers. The new competition calendar involves a series of Heads of the River time trial races for specific boat classes and is designed to give competitors a chance to test their skill and sharpen up for the shorter competition races in 2010."

"The single scullers are drawn from clubs right across the country and the race involves separate time trial races for both women and men scullers. In the women's race there are fifty five boats led off by Siobhan Jacob from Old Collegians Club, Dublin. The seniors are followed by a strong field of intermediate and junior scullers. It is very encouraging to see such a strong junior entry this year with thirty girls fighting it out for the first National Head sculling crown."

"The mens race has an impressive entry of one hundred and fifty five boats. They will be led off by Richard Coakley (Skibbereen Rowing Club) who was part of the Olympic team in 2008. Others challenging for the top senior spot will be Michael Maher (Dublin Commercial Club) and the very promising junior and current novice champion, Turlough Hughes (Kings Hospital School)."

"There are sixty three junior men scullers entered which says a lot for the drive in recent years to promote sculling among beginners."

"The National Head race series continues with a double sculls race at the National Rowing Centre in Cork on Nov 28th, a fours race in Limerick on Feb 6th and an eights race in Galway on March 27th next. Through the summer months there will be a series of Grand League regattas at six major venues around the country, north and south. The new competition calendar also has two National Championship regattas, one in July and one in September."