The two crews were preparing for the Amsterdam International Regatta which takes place this weekend.The team headed off for the Netherlands last night (Wednesday), but we were fortunate enough to catch them (who met for the first time at the weekend) at a training session on the Erne before they left.

    With so much inland waterway in Ireland, why did Peeters choose the Erne for training? “With the facilities at the Forum and here at Portora, it’s just so conducive to rowing, and when conditions are bad throughout Ireland, we can be the only crew out on the water in the whole of the country. This is the best place.”

    Although the stretch of water from Portora to the Killyhevlin is highly praised by Sebastiaan, his crews also train at the Cork National Training Centre, but the Erne is favoured. The course at Enniskillen measures 1500 metres, 500 short of the regular race distance, but Peeters says it is ample for the requirements of his crews.

    The eight member team is multi-disciplined, racing in eight boat crews as well as fours, and very experienced; all bar one of the lightweight crew have represented Ireland in two World Championships, and some of those currently training on the Erne, recently returned home from the Belgian National Championships with gold.

    Crew member, Bruce Cummings from Cookstown,who stands at 6’3 and weighs 13.5 stone, is the stroke for Cambridge University 1st Eight but unfortunately he did not make the 1st boat in the Varsity race earlier in the year. However, he was in the warm up race prior to the main event.

    With such rigorous summer training encompassing two to three hours rowing in the morning, followed by a gym session in the afternoon, and then another two to three hour session on the water in the evening, how does the crew fit in other commitments? According to Cummings, they don’t have any time for anything else, everyone is completely devoted to the rowing. If you thought the summer training was rigorous, consider the fact that in the winter they spend eight hours a day on the river.

    The Amsterdam event will be the ultimate test for the crews when the Irish will be up against the Australian and New Zealand Olympic crews which put in excellent performances at the recent International event in Seville.

    But Peeters is not greatly concerned: “We’re going to Amsterdam, with nothing expected from us, so the crews aren’t under any pressure.” The team will return from Amsterdam for further training here on the Erne on 18 July for a week, followed by a 10 day break before heading off again, this time to Copenhagen for the U23 World Championships.

    Peeters is confident about the prospects for the race: “It’ll be a matter of being in the top six to qualify for the final, and then we hope to compete for a medal.”

    Looking further ahead, Peeters is keen to see the crews at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and is confident that they will make it. Cummings is not completely sure about his prospects. Although only 21 he fears that his age, along with final examinations at Cambridge may prevent him from participating, but he said the idea was “tempting”.