ROWING AGM:EAMONN KAVANAGH is one of the most admirable men in Irish rowing. The weather-beaten 51-year-old, who rowed across the Atlantic with his brother Peter 11 years ago, stands in the neat boathouse at Arklow Rowing Club, which he helped build with his own hands, and talks enthusiastically about the rising talent which takes to the water here.

The club has a membership of over 50 and they will send four boats to a World Championships in Italy next weekend.

And yet, Kavanagh will be virtually unknown to many rowers and Arklow Rowing Club receives no Government support.

Arklow is one of over 70 coastal rowing clubs. Each summer their events generate big attendances and entries - there were 300 crews and 1,500 athletes at the National Championships in Antrim this year.

But coastal rowing is a different discipline to the Olympic sport, and is not covered by the remit of the official body, the Irish Amateur Rowing Union. Government grants go through the official body.

Talks this year between the Irish Coastal Rowing Federation and the IARU broke up without agreement.

The IARU line was that coastal rowing should become affiliated to the official body, but the ICRF argued for a partnership.

The IARU holds the trump card in that it is affiliated to Fisa, which oversees both coastal and fixed seat rowing at international level.

Thus, entries for the World Coastal Rowing Championships, which take place next weekend in San Remo in Italy, must go through the IARU.

John O'Leary, the secretary of the ICRF, acknowledged the graciousness of the official body in processing the entries of the coastal clubs in the past few days.

Some clubs, like Killorglin in Kerry, manage to compete in both disciplines, but for Arklow the barriers to this route are financial.

Entering an eight for an IARU event can cost €450, and the registration fee for the club can double that.

A club which already calls on its members to entirely fund their operations cannot realistically go down this route, Kavanagh says.

For all this, the future for Arklow Rowing Club will have some bright days.

Three veteran boats will be joined by a pair of young oarsmen in Italy next weekend, and it will be young competitors which will carry the challenge in Plymouth next year.

"This is our last year to race," says Kavanagh of himself and brother Peter.

"Next year the young lads will be competitive."

Two of the most impressive Olympic rowers of recent years, Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell, have announced their retirement from the sport at international level.

The twins, who turn 30 today, became the first women's double scull to win gold in successive Olympic Games with their victory in Beijing.

One of the most popular participation events of the year, the Portadown Marascull, takes place tomorrow. The 9½ mile marathon has drawn an entry of 42 boats.