Jennings in confident mood

ROWING/ News and Henley preview: Sinead Jennings will represent Ireland at the World Championships for non-Olympic events in Spain next month with strong hopes of winning back the lightweight single sculls crown she so memorably captured in 2001. "I really want to regain my title and I really think I can," Jennings said yesterday.

Her main rival is likely to be Viktoriya Dimitrova of Bulgaria, the 2002 champion, who the Irish woman beat into fifth place in the 2001 final.

Last year's champion, Fiona Milne of Canada, is now in a lightweight double which should produce a medal at the Olympics.

Jennings won her place in Spain at the national trials at the weekend when she went head-to-head with the woman who partnered her in the Ireland lightweight double at the recent Olympic Qualifiers, Heather Boyle, and emerged victorious. "It was not a nice race to have," Jennings admitted.

Niamh Ní Cheilleachair, who finished third in the trial, goes on to the World Student Games. Joanne and Eimear Moran, who were trialled separately, also go to the student event as an open double scull.

Henley Royal Regatta begins today, with nine of the 16 Irish crews competing.

Ireland's strongest representation is in the Temple Challenge Cup for college eights, with five of the 32 entries coming from this island. All are in action today.

NUIG and Trinity College's A crew are "selected" (i.e. seeded) and in opposite sides of the draw, so they could meet in Sunday's final. However, Trinity A have Harvard University as possible semi-final opponents.

Queen's University have two crews in the Temple, but their A crew has not been favoured by the draw, and could make their exit today against ASR Nereus of The Netherlands, who are seeded. Queen's B and Trinity B complete the Irish line-up in the Temple.

Trinity coach Tim Levy actually has four crews under his stewardship at the regatta, and all are scheduled to race today. Trinity's sister club, Lady Elizabeth are seeded in the Thames Cup for club eights, and Levy has particular hopes for his entry in the men's student coxed fours, a new event. Again, this crew is seeded.

Garda Siochana's chances in the Britannia for club coxed fours rest on them pulling off an unlikely victory over a seeded crew, Potomac BC, today. St Michael's face Kingston RC in the Wyfold for club coxless fours.

Irish hopes in the Visitors' Cup, an intermediate coxless fours event which an Irish composite crew won last year, have been severely dented by the draw.

While three young Irish crews are entered, the Galway Rowing Club/Skibbereen composite is scheduled to meet NUIG/Skibbereen in the first round tomorrow.

The winners come up against the winners of the clash between NUIG's own crew and ASR Nereus of the Netherlands. Thus Saturday's semi-finals can feature only one Irish crew.

Last year Ireland also won the quadruple sculls, an intermediate event, and the Commercial quad - with Con Collis coming in for James Mangan - hope to retain their title. They are scheduled to race tomorrow.

HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA: Today's programme for Irish crews (first-named crew on Berkshire station) - 9.30: Thames Challenge Cup (club eights) - Lady Elizabeth BC v Lea RC. 9.35: Temple Challenge Cup (college eights) - Oxford Brookes University BC v Trinity College, Dublin, A. 10.35: Temple - Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford v Trinity B. 11.35: Temple - Queen's University, Belfast, A v ASR Nereus, Netherlands. 11.50: Men's Student Coxed Fours - Trinity v Reading University. 2.10: Temple - Queen's B v Nottingham University A. 2.15: Wyfold Challenge Cup (club coxless fours) - Kingston RC v St Michael's RC. 2.50: Britannia Challenge Cup (coxed fours) - Potomac BC, United States v Garda Siochana BC. 6.05: Temple - NUIG v Southampton University.