THE annual colours rowing fixture between Trinity and UCD, which in the recent past has seen a number of indifferent performances, this year features two boats that are currently dominating the domestic scene.

Trinity start the main event - the men's open eights - as clear favourites, having finished the head season with three straight wins over championship level crews.

In the engine room sit former Belfast national championship winner William Gilbert at four; championship winner with Neptune Ciaran Lewis at five and at three, Peter Lennon who was last year offered a rowing scholarship to Brown University in the US.

It leaves their opponents tomorrow in the unenviable position of having to find an extra five lengths in form if they are to overcome the 30 to 40 second margins that have so far separated the two crews.

While the winter barely offered even cold comfort to the UCD men, the UCD women's eight took the opportunity to stretch their unbeaten record on home waters.

Two of the crew - the stroke Vanessa Lawrenson and number five Debbie Stack - attended under 23 trials at Castleconnell last weekend and according to their coach Nick Mahony, all eight could be stars of Sydney 2000.

The latest wins in Galway and a fortnight ago on the Liffey, only highlighted the lack of competition UCD women currently face with their real tests likely to come at overseas regattas.

In the meantime, though, crew changes forced on UCD by the competition rules, puts Trinity women back in the frame for the Corcoran Cup.

The Heineken sponsored Gannon Cup men's race starts at 2.15 from St James's Gate to Marlborough Street steps. The women's event begins at 2.45.