Amsterdam's Bosbaan Readies for the Best Under 23s

By Melissa Bray

The teams have arrived at Amsterdam's Bosbaan rowing course and the rough water has not been hindering their practices as winds cause strong tail wind conditions.

Over 700 athletes are set to compete in this year's World Rowing Under 23 Championships and the course is alive with the colours of 50 nations.

Names that have already proved themselves at the international level will feature prominently including Dutch rowing hero Sjoerd Hamburger who has shot to fame by setting a Dutch national record in the men's single at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup earlier this month. The 203cm Hamburger finished sixth in the final which placed him as the top single sculler in the Netherlands.

Featuring in the lightweight men's single, Zac Purchase of Great Britain made his mark earlier this season by winning bronze at the second BearingPoint Rowing World Cup in Munich. Purchase will be competing against Ireland's Richard Coakley who finished second in the lightweight men's eight at Lucerne. This event has the highest number of entries with 25 boats lining up for the heats tomorrow.

Winners of last year's women's quad, Jaime Nielsen and Fiona Paterson of New Zealand will compete in the double against 14 other countries.

Siblings competing together features predominantly at this regatta with Dejan and Dinko Radmanic competing in the men's coxed four for Croatia, Alan and Aubrey Oldham representing Canada in the men's pair and sister's Suzanne, Elizabeth and Kimberley Brown taking up three of the spots in Australia's women's quad.

For some countries just getting to the start line has been a big challenge. Teams have travelled from as far away as South Africa and New Zealand with Australia arriving earlier this month in time to compete as well at last week's BearingPoint Rowing World Cup final in Lucerne.

Hungary almost didn't make it. Their boat trailer, carrying both Hungary's and Serbia & Montenegro's boats, was hit yesterday by a truck while travelling through Germany. Nine boats were destroyed. Organising Committee member and local Dutch coach Maaike Reinders, got onto the task of finding replacement boats. Within a busy four hours boats and oars were found and the two countries will be able to compete.

?This is an example of people pulling together when a problem is at hand,? said FISA's development manager Sheila Stephens.

The accident was reported this morning on German radio and almost instantly people were calling the radio station offering assistance.

The Bosbaan rowing course has been a regular on the international rowing scene since it was built in 1936 as part of an employment project. As it was originally designed with five lanes, in 2002 the course was widened to eight lanes to comply with current international standards. Every year the Bosbaan hosts the Holland Beker Regatta featuring international rowers in the men's and women's single.

The Bosbaan also hosted the under 23 rowers in 1989 when it was still known as the Nations Cup. The World Rowing Under 23 Championships came under FISA's wing for the first time last year when the name was changed to the World Rowing Under 23 Regatta. Then this year at the FISA Extraordinary Congress, congress members voted to upgrade the Under 23 Regatta to Championship status.

Rowers will compete for the following cups:

Challenge of Hamburg ? men
Jacques Waefelaer Challenge ? women
Challenge of France ? lightweight women
Challenge of Austria ? lightweight men
Challenge of Spain ? general ranking for lightweights (men and women)
Paolo d'Aloja Challenge ? overall regatta winner

Winds are expected to decrease so racing is still scheduled to start on Thursday 21 July at 9.30 am CET and live results can be viewed on www.worldrowing.com. Final racing will take place on Sunday 24 July.

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