France dominates the 2nd World Rowing Coastal Challenge

Schoelcher, Martinique welcomes FISA 2nd World Rowing Coastal Challenge.

The 2nd FISA World Rowing Coastal Challenge presented by EDF, Electricité de France, took place on Monday, on the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean Sea.  The event was organised by the French Rowing Federation.

Competitors from six countries took part in this growing event, but France ruled the waves.  Evelyne Perrin of Bordeaux, France, won the World Rowing Coastal Challenge in the women’s solo over six kilometers in 51 min, 16 seconds.  The club from Caen, France won the women’s double title in 47 min, 12 seconds and the mixed crew from Marseille, Vaux en Velin, Vichy and Toulon with yesterday’s solo winner Aline Koehler on board won the women’s four in 45 min, 10 seconds.

In the men’s Coastal Challenge, Damien Derlique of Bordeaux won the men’s solo over 12 kilometers in a time of 1 hr, 15 min and 51 seconds while the mixed crew from Vichy and Decines, France with Alain Moretto the French champion in solo on board won the men’s double in a time of 1 hr, 1 min, 51 seconds and the club from Le Havre, France won the men’s four in a time of 1 hour, 1 min, 4 seconds. All results can be found on the French Federation website www.avironfrance.fr.

This championship was a special event as the French Rowing Federation sent a container with 36 specially constructed boats to Martinique.  The boats will stay in Martinique and will help develop rowing on the Caribbean island. The local population and the governmental authorities gave great support to the event. 

The Board of the French Federation was present along with the Executive Committee of FISA to show their support for this type of rowing which has huge potential for the development of the sport.

On Sunday 337 participants in 139 boats competed in the 7th French Coastal Rowing Championships.  Alain Moretto of Vichy won his 5th French title in the solo while Aline Koehler of Toulon was the French Champion in the women’s solo. Marseille won the women’s four, Rouen won the women’s double and the men’s four while Avignon won the men’s double. The club Cercle de l’aviron de Marseille was the overall point winner in this national event.