Coastal rowing suits Tunisia

Tunisia has 1300km of coastline. This lends itself superbly to coastal rowing and new developments in this branch of the sport of rowing has seen Tunisia host the 2nd International Coastal Rowing Regatta earlier this month.

Kerkennah Island, found 300km south of Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, was the chosen venue for the regatta and the Island welcomed the competitors from seven nations.

“We decided to liven up our beaches with rowing sports,” says Tunisia Rowing Federation’s technical director Faycal Soula. “So our federation bought some single and double coastal rowing boats which we gave to rowing clubs in Tunisia.”

Last year the inaugural coastal rowing regatta attracted 50 competitors from Italy, France, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. This year it has grown to seven countries with Morocco and Kuwait added to the list.

The location was changed this year as the 2008 regatta had no wind, something coastal rowers relish. Racing is not the same if the water is flat.  Moving it to the east side of Kerkennah Island, Soula says, meant a positive improvement in the rowing conditions. “This year we had some wind and waves.”

The impact on rowing has been great, says Soula. The 2008 regatta meant many people on the island discovered rowing and a new rowing club has already been established.

Kerkennah Island is a tourist destination and the regatta was able to secure sponsorship from the local accommodation and transport organisation. This meant that the transport between the mainland and the Island (350km) was prepared for all participants and organisers.

For the week leading up to the event, the Kuwait and Libya rowing national teams came to Tunis for a training camp with the Tunisian rowing team.

The 3rd International Coastal Rowing Regatta will be held at Kerkennah Island, Tunisia, on 1 August 2010.

The World Rowing team values feedback .