Over 200 crews are set to descend on Cork City this bank holiday weekend for Ireland’s premier rowing race, the flagship event of Cork Harbour Festival 2016. Almost 600 participants will take to the water for the gruelling 28km race from Crosshaven to Cork City. This is the 12th year of the race organised by Meitheal Mara, which since 2005 has brought thousands of rowers and paddlers to Cork to compete across a broad range of classes. Many participants are regular race goers, while many more take part for the fun and challenge of completing the course.

This year’s race brings crews from around Ireland, England, Holland, France, Portugal and the United States. Albany Irish Rowing Club, from New York, who will row a three handed currach, is one crew that can’t wait for the starting line. “We’re looking forward to rowing in the best race in the world, meeting the locals and enjoying the festival!” The Rockabillies, an all-female crew from Skerries, North Co. Dublin are returning to take on the Ocean to City challenge for a second time. “We’re training together with a mix of walking, gym, running and cycling. Last year was great fun and we just had to head back again – the Rebels know how to party!” This year will see an Australian surfboat compete for the first time. The Perranporth Maniacs are surfboat rowers from Cornwall, who compete in surfboat competitions throughout the UK and Europe. “We’ve heard many good reports from other rowers that have taken part in the Ocean to City, and look forward to a new rowing experience.”

The race starts at 11.30am at Crosshaven, with best vantage points from Camden Fort Meagher, whose café terrace has the perfect vista over Roches Point. Along the race route, Cobh Tourism will host the annual ‘Cobh Cheers!’, featuring live race commentary and family fun with the Cobh Animation Team. Passage West Maritime Festival hosts the Ocean to City Picnic at 12.45, which is the destination for the ‘Harbour Pedal’, Cork Cycling Campaign’s scenic morning cycle, which departs Lapp’s Quay at 11.30am.

The festivities at the city finish line at Lapp’s Quay warm up from 1pm, with live commentary, DJ Ian Fiasco, live music, the festival market and circus street performances. The prize giving ceremony wraps up events with the after-party celebrations kicking off from 7pm along Albert Quay!

#Rowing: Ireland’s lightweight women’s double won the B Final emphatically at the World Cup Regatta in Lucerne this morning, placing seventh at this prestigious regatta. The crew of Sinéad Lynch (née Jennings) and Claire Lambe had come very close to taking an A Final place. They dominated this B Final. The race was quite close early on, but Ireland took control before half way and carved out a clear water lead. Poland were second and Britain third.

World Cup Regatta, Lucerne, Switzerland (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Pair – A Final: 1 Britain (J Cassells, S Scrimgeour) 6:31.03.

Women

Lightweight Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Ireland (C Lambe, S Lynch) 7:01.36, 2 Poland 7:03.01, 3 Britain 7:04.88.

#Rio2016 - Four rowers have been included in Team Ireland's first formal selections for this summer's Olympic Games in Rio.

Sinead Lynch and Claire Lambe in the lightweight women's double scull and the team of Paul and Gary O'Donovan in the lightweight men's double scull were put forward by Rowing Ireland in the first group of selected athletes for Rio 2016 announced on Friday 20 May.

"The athletes selected have fantastic potential and have shown that they are capable of performing against the very best in the world," said Kevin Kilty, Team Ireland's chef de mission for Rio 2016.

"We will provide them with the best possible high performance environment in Rio in order that they can perform at their best.”

The four rowers join two badminton hopefuls, two gymnasts and a six-strong boxing contingent – including Olympic medallist Paddy Barnes – in the first team announcement.

#Rowing: The Road to Rio row came to a spirited conclusion in Parliament Square at Trinity College today. Ireland Olympians Sean Drea and Brendan Dolan and Eimear Lambe, younger sister of soon-to-be Olympian Claire, were among those taking part in the final push. Ministers Michael Noonan and Frances Fitzgerald visited the stand. Thousands of young people had done stints on ergometers, with the distances they covered counted off the 9195.97 kilometres from Ireland to Rio de Janeiro.

#Rowing: The Victor Ludorum Trophy for best school was won by St Joseph’s of Galway at the Irish Schools’ Championships at O’Brien’s Bridge in Clare today. Daire Lynch of Clonmel CBS was the best single sculler. Methodist College, Belfast, won the women’s under-23 eight.

#Rowing: Ireland had its second heat win at the World Cup Regatta in Varese, as the lightweight double of Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan gave an excellent display. They took over the lead in the second half of the race and beat Britain into second place, with both crews qualifying for semi-finals.  

 Sinéad Jennings and Claire Lambe finished third in their heat, missing direct qualifcation for the semi-finals by just one spot. The Ireland lightweight double were very close to leaders Switzerland down the course, but in the drive for the line Canada took the second qualification place, with Ireland .55 of a second behind.    

World Cup Regatta, Varese (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Three (First Two to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechages): 1 Ireland (P O’Donovan, G O’Donovan) 6:27.07, 2 Britain 6:33.38; 3 Netherlands Two 6:48.24.  

Women

Pair – Heat One (First Two to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechages): 1 Germany 7:23.08, 2 Russia One 7:24.46; 5 Ireland (L Kennedy, B O’Brien) 7:46.38.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Two (First Two to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechages): 1 Switzerland 7:03.98, 2 Canada 7:04.45; 3 Ireland (C Lambe, S Jennings) 7:05.0.

Single Sculls – Heat One (Winner to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechages): 1 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:34.32; 2 Czech Republic (M Knapkova) 7:36.13.  

#Rowing: Trinity had a good run in the early set of finals at Neptune Regatta in Islandbridge today. Their senior coxed four – with a strong set of rowers in Patrick Moreau, Mark Kelly, Liam Hawkes and David Butler, beat UCD, and Michael Corcoran won the senior single sculls. Monika Dukarska of Killorglin took on and beat Breanna Larsen in a semi-final and Jacqueline Ryan in the final of the women’s single.

Neptune Regatta, Islandbridge Saturday (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Club One: Commercial B bt St Michael’s 2l, 3:44. Novice: Trinity bt UCD, disq. Junior 18: Neptune bt Commercial 1¾ l, 3:40.

Four – Senior: Trinity bt UCD 1¼ l, 3:50. Intermediate, coxed: Trinity bt Commercial 2l, 4:23. Masters, coxed: Carlow, Athlone, Northridge bt Neptune 3l.

Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 16, coxed: Commercial bt Castleconnell, disq

Double – Jun 16: Killorglin bt Graiguenamanagh easily, 4:25. Jun 15: Three Castles bt Blackrock easily, 4:34.

Single – Senior: Trinity (M Corcoran) bt Neptune (K Coughlan), 2l 4:23. Club Two: Trinity (S Addison) bt Clonmel (J McKenna) 3l, 4:40. Jun 18: Graiguenamanagh (A Lennon) bt Commercial (N Beggan) 1½ l.

Women

Eight – Club One: Commercial bt Trinity 1l, 4:20. Novice: UCD bt Trinity B 4l, 4:22. Jun 16: Portora bt Carlow easily, 4:28.

Sculling, Quadruple – Jun 18: Commercial bt Belfast RC easily, 4:50. Jun 15, coxed: St Michael’s A bt Offaly 6l, 4:56.

Single – Senior: Killorglin (M Dukarska) bt Garda (J Ryan) easily, 4:42. Club Two: Garda (Ryan) bt Garda (Moore) easily, 5:14.

Jun 16: Belfast RC (A Hall) bt Castleconnell (L Mulligan) easily, 5:22.

#Rowing: The Neptune Regatta on Saturday at Islandbridge has revised its draw, moving a number of crews around on the schedule. The overall shape of the regatta, which runs from 8.30am until just after 6pm, remains in place. There are men’s senior eight semi-finals scheduled for 4.24 and 4.27, with the final set for 5.42.

 The changes are highlighted in yellow in the attached draw.

#Rowing: Carlow’s junior 18 quadruple were the fastest crew at the Offaly Head of the River in Tullamore on Saturday. The winning crew had over 40 seconds to spare over their nearest rivals, winning in a time of 10 minutes 44.25 seconds.  

#Rowing: Cambridge won the 2016 men’s Boat Race on the Thames today. Oxford started well, but in extremely difficult conditions, Cambridge established an early lead and kept a good rhythm down the long course, even as Oxford never gave up. 

 The women’s race was extraordinary. Oxford won, but in what Oxford women’s boat club president Maddy Badcott called “insane conditions”, Cambridge took in so much water that they almost sank. They somehow kept going and finished.