ROWING:IRISH ROWERS are in action in Italy, the United States and at home this weekend, while off the water the search for a new performance director reached a crucial stage yesterday with four shortlisted candidates being interviewed.

The importance of this appointment was flagged by the composition of the interview panel: along with the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, the Irish Sports Council, the Institute of Sport and Merc Partners, a recruitment consultancy company, were involved.

"The appointment will define where we are going in the next four years," opined Seán Jacob. The big Dubliner has his reasons for welcoming a new broom, having taken the union to court last season for being dropped mid-season from the programme.

Jacob, who now competes for Old Collegians, is leaving his options open for the season ahead. The 36-year-old "dusted off" his boat to win the Dublin Sculling Ladder time trial last weekend, with Caroline Ryan hugely impressive in coming home well up the field as the first woman.

The Offaly Scullers' head takes place in Tullamore tomorrow. Danny O'Dowd of Galway should be the fastest home of the 81 entries.

Further afield, crews from Killorglin, Kilmacsimon in Co Cork and Arklow represent Ireland at the World Coastal Rowing Championships, which begin in San Remo in Italy today.

One of the biggest and most beloved of all rowing events takes place in Boston tomorrow and Sunday. The Head of the Charles will have over 8,000 competitors. The bronze medallist in the men's single scull in Beijing, Mahe Drysdale, and the women's silver medallist, Michelle Guerette, compete. The entry from Ireland includes athletes from Tribesmen, Cork Boat Club and Carrick-on-Shannon.

Meanwhile, despite being written off in some quarters, the proposed watersports centre near Portadown is back in the frame. Consarc, the architectural group which designed the Odyssey in Belfast, have won the tender to bring the ambitious project through the economic appraisal stage.