Grueling conditions at coastal champs

The World Rowing Coastal Championships took rowing to the extreme as competitors battled the elements on Great Britain’s Plymouth Harbour.

The first day of heats racing was relatively consistent with a good dose of waves throughout the day and rain towards the end of the afternoon. The course, which included a section inside and outside the Plymouth Harbour breakwater, gave rowers a variety of rowing conditions. Outside the breakwater waves measured up to two metres.

FISA commission member Pat Lambert described challenges outside the breakwater. “Crews had to steer a lot not to be pushed towards the breakwater. Security and the umpires watched this very carefully, especially as it was the heats and some weaker participants, especially in the men’s single, seemed in trouble.”

The rough conditions and poor visibility for finals day caused course changes and delays. A decision was made to use the ‘bad conditions’ course and the men’s quad B-final made it to the start line but were subsequently called back off the water. The ‘bad conditions’ course was then adjusted and the men’s quad A-final got on to the water.
After further meetings the decision was made to race the women’s quad A-final on the same course as the men’s quad final and then race the singles and doubles on an adjusted course that stayed within the sheltered harbour. This turned out advantageous for the spectators who, from the shore, could see more of the racing.

Coastal rowing attracts a mixture of those that have come from a flat-water rowing background and those rowers that coastal rowing has always been their focus. Lambert noted that many crews relished the rough conditions.

The range of coastal rowing abilities was evident with often the race positions decided by the first buoy. But the final of the men’s single proved a complete contrast with two club members, Hubert Briand and Yannick Beaudelot going stroke for stroke right to the finish line. “I really prepared this path to gold,” said winner Briand. “I trained very hard together with my club partner Yannick Beaudelot who finished second. We train on the "Manche", the English Channel, in conditions pretty similar to these.” Briand has previously come fourth at the coastal championships. The two rowers come from Saint Malo Club in France.

“We train together and hope to continue in the future as it seems to be very efficient,” said Beaudelot. “My only training course is the sea, I am a dedicated coastal sculler.”

The men’s double was also won by France. Loic Biron and Regis Raitif of the Club Nautique de Pornic described their training, “Before coming to Plymouth we had different types of training – biking, weights, swimming and, of course, rowing on the sea. I really liked the conditions we competed in and the course was very well marked.”
Defending champions in the women’s quad, Switzerland’s Lausanne Sport Avrion were unable to retain their title. They came in second behind a crew stacked with Olympians from Great Britain’s Thames Rowing Club. Stroke for Switzerland, Bettina Schafli commented, “It really was coastal rowing with waves. You needed a lot of endurance and it was very hard to compete against the Olympians in the Thames boat. We're very happy about our results as we achieved silver against tough conditions, high level teams, the weather and the waves.”

The Thames boat included Olympic silver medallist sisters, Guin and Miriam Batten as well as Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Elise Laverick and German Olympian Lenk Wech.

Next year the World Rowing Coastal Championships is heading for Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey is relatively new to the sport of coastal rowing but local sports organisers see it as a sport with a huge amount of potential in their country.

RESULTS

Men’s single sculls (CM1x)
1. Hubert Briand, Saint Malo, France
2. Yannick Beaudelot, Saint Malo, France
3. Peter Berg, Helsingborgs Roddklubb, Sweden

Men’s double (CM2x)
1. Loic Biron, Regis Raitif, Club Nautique De Pornic, France
2. Arthur Marais, Axel Shirm, Aviron Hennebontais, France
3. Nicolas Parquic, Jerome Richard, Rennes Etudiants Club Aviron, France

Men’s coxed quad (CM4x+)
1. David Coudron, Morgan Dugueperoux, Julien Le Canche, Jean-Francois Malval, Loann Cuvillier (cox), Saint Malo, France
2. Manuel Garcia, Ignacio Hidalgo, Miguel Lojo, Sinuhe Perez, Adriana Lopez-Doriga (cox), Barcelona, Spain
3. Arnaud, Alin, Nicolas Alin, Yoann Farrugia, Fomain Ferrando, nadege Royer (cox), Marseilles, France

Women’s single sculls (CW1x)
1. Donika Dukarska, Killorglin RC, Ireland
2. Margi Jorgensen, Guernsey RC, Great Britain
3. Denise Tremul, San Marco, France

Women’s double sculls (CW2x)
1. Zsofia Bende, Lidia Veroci, Mohacsi Torna Egylet, Hungary
2. Majda Jerman, Veronika Pizzamus, Saturnia ASD, Italy
3. Maryline Gentin, Alexandra Pegaz, Aviron Meyzieu, France

Women’s coxed quad (CW4x+)
1. Guin Batten, Miriam Luke, Elise Laverick, Lenka Wech, Sarah Dunn (cox), Thames RC, Great Britain
2. Bettina Schaefli, Fanny Mossiere, Colleen Orsmond, Gael Pannatier, Diego Larrain (cox), Lausanne Sport Aviron, Switzerland
3. Aneta Belka, Agata Zieleniewska, Anna Mocna, Iwona Zygmunt, Paullina Gorska (cox), Bydgostia, Poland

For full results go to: http://www.worldoffshorerowingchampionships2009.com