British Rowing Offshore Championships prepares to make a splash this weekend in Poole

The first ever British Rowing Offshore Championships, presented by Visit Sarasota County, will take place on Sunday, 30 July at Sandbanks Beach, Poole

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This Sunday, 30 July, the first ever British Rowing Offshore Championships, presented by Visit Sarasota County, will take place at Sandbanks Beach, Poole, Dorset.

Forty-five crews will be competing across six different events: men’s and women’s coastal single sculls, men’s and women’s coastal double sculls, and the men’s and women’s coastal coxed quads.

Clubs competing at the Offshore Championships include Falmouth Pilot Gig Club, Mayflower Offshore Rowing Club, Jersey Rowing Club, Birmingham Rowing Club, Trafford Rowing Club, and University of London Tyrian Club. There is also international representation from Peru, Sweden, Ireland and the Czech Republic.

Racing on the Sunday gets underway at 10am with the heats of the men’s single scull. From 1pm, the finals will get underway with the women’s coxed quad, men’s double scull and women’s single scull. At 3pm it will be the turn of the men’s coxed quads, followed by the women’s double sculls with the men’s single scull completing the racing action.

Heats will take place over a 4km course out to sea with the finals being raced over 6km. Races can take between 20 and 30 minutes with crews going around six turning markers in the final.

Commenting on the event, James Foad, Honorary Chairman of the British Rowing Offshore Championships and Olympic bronze medallist who will be rowing for Itchen Imperial Rowing Club said: “The Offshore Championships are a great step forward by British Rowing in opening up our sport to a wider community and offering new challenges to those already involved in the sport. The Organising Committee have also picked a fantastic venue to hold this event. I hope you enjoy your time on Sandbanks beach as much as I will.”

You can head down to Sandbanks Beach on Sunday to catch all the action for the British Rowing Offshore Championships, presented by Visit Sarasota County.