ROWING: The University of Massachusetts ended UCD's dreams of winning at Women's Henley yesterday. The American college's powerful A crew beat the Irish in the College Eight final by two and three-quarter lengths. Liam Gorman reports.

Earlier in the day, UCD had reached the final by beating the American college's B crew, victors over Trinity on Saturday. UCD have their eyes on a good performance at the Remenham Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, but must pre-qualify next weekend.

Back in Ireland, the Athlone regatta on Saturday, run in excellent conditions, had been notable for strong performances by Galway crews: NUIG won the senior eights and, in the surprise result of the day, the young stars of St Joseph's (the Bish) won the men's senior coxed four.

The men's senior single scull had a surprise winner in Frenchman Jhislain Herbaut, representing City of Derry.

In Munich, the World Cup regatta series which finished yesterday offered an opportunity for the cream to again rise to the top in the men's heavyweight pairs: Britain's Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell, beaten into third last time out in Milan, had a convincing victory in the final.

The Irish, who have been training in Stromstad in Sweden, decided to give this regatta a miss. News from the camp is that the young lightweight double of Eugene Coakley and Timmy Harnedy gave Sam Lynch and Gearoid Towey a real battle in a test against the Norway squad last weekend - and Towey and Lynch had not yet made race weight.

In the men's double final in Munich yesterday, Steve Tucker, the diminutive battler who finished third in the lightweight single final behind Lynch at last year's World Championships, teamed up with Greg Ruckman to win gold for the US. Italy, who won in Milan, were absent.

The other two events in which the Irish hope to qualify this year for the Olympic Games also excited interest in Munich yesterday. In the men's lightweight four, Denmark, who have set the standard for a decade, won - but only in a photo finish with the Netherlands.

Germany's strength in the women's lightweight double can be gauged by the fact that Marie-Louise Draeger teamed up with Claudia Blasberg to win yesterday, and Janet Raduenzel, who was replaced by Draeger in the double after trials, won the lightweight single.

Irish oarswomen may end up facing both crews at the final World Cup regatta, in Lucerne next month, and perhaps at the World Championships. At present Ireland have three women, Sinead Jennings, Fiola Foley and Heather Boyle, vying for a position in the lightweight double, with the one who does not make it likely to compete in the single.