Coastal Rowing lets rip
They say you’re never more than 70 miles from the ocean in the UK, and with thousands of miles of coast to choose from it’s little wonder that this area of the sport is growing so fast.
Surf rowing, gig rowing, off-shore, coastal and ocean rowing all offer a whole new experience for ‘flat-water’ rowers. The sliding-seat boats designed for coastal and off-shore rowing are wider, heavier and much more stable than the fine racing boats. And typical of, but not exclusive to Cornwall, are the fixed-seat gigs and surf boats, rowing boats that have a long and fascinating history of their own.
The World Rowing Coastal Championships are also growing in popularity, reflecting the interest in this side of the sport. Boats race a triangular course around buoys with no lanes – the FISA standard competition course being 6km. Entries are now open for the 2011 championship, which takes place in Bari, Italy from 20-23rd October. This year for the first time entries will be ranked and the organisers are going to experiment with beach starts which promise to make this a fantastic spectator sport.
South Coast Championships
One of the most prestigious events on the coastal rowing calendar – the South Coast Rowing Championships – will take place on Saturday 10th September 2011 at Dorney Lake, Eton.
Organisers hope that “the combination of such an excellent and fair course in an area close to so many places of interest should ensure a memorable experience for competitors and spectators alike and take the South Coast Rowing Championships to a new level.”
The September 10th regatta comprises the South Coast Junior Regatta in the morning, followed by the South Coast Championships in the afternoon and a prize-giving presented by Sir Steve Redgrave.
All crews will compete in their coastal rowing boats.
With the help of Explore Rowing, it’s getting easier and easier to find and try out new, fun and challenging ways to enjoy coastal rowing for yourself.
To find out more about how to get involved, use our Explore Rowing club-finder to find your nearest coastal rowing club.
