The Neptune lightweight four travelled to the Cologne rowing regatta at the weekend and confirmed that they can compete with the best.
After winning their heat on Saturday the crew of Neville Maxwell, Tony O'Connor, Derek Holland and Brendan Dolan went on to push the reigning world champions from Denmark all the way in the final before finishing second. They might have even bettered this yesterday except for equipment failure.
In Saturday's final the Danes took an early lead, which they were never to lose, but the German heavyweight crew were their closest rivals, with Neptune's four in third. However, the Irish battled hard and pushed past the German's in the last 500 metres. The Danes won in six minutes 3.15 seconds, Neptune were second in 6:06.72 and the Germans were pushed into fifth by the Dutch heavyweight crew, who finished in 6:07.40.
In yesterday's straight final the Neptune challenge fell to a tiller which wouldn't move. The race had to be pulled back after 100 metres first time out because of this problem, but the hitch again hit the Irish after 600 metres and the crew had to stop - despite the fact that they were lying second to the Danes at this point. The Danes won in 6:01.62, with Germany's lightweights second in 6:04.09.
The weekend was a very satisfactory one for the crew and coach John Holland, but again opens the question of whether the Irish Amateur Rowing Union should overturn recent indications and find the funds to send the crew to the first World Cup regatta in Munich at the end of the month. "It's good to know were at the pace, and we learnt a lot," said Holland. "We'd like to get to Munich, but that remains in other's hands."
At the Queen's University regatta at Catlewellan on Saturday much of the interest centred on the sculling events and, especially, John Armstrong's attempt to show the type of form which will ensure his eventual inclusion in the quad to represent Ireland in international regattas.
The Lady Victoria Boat Club man did his chances no harm at all, winning both the single scull, where he left Colm O'Rourke of Neptune and Lar Collins of Commercial in his wake, and the double, where he teamed up with Commercial's Donal McGuinness.
