Coastal Champs aim to advance Turkish rowing

The World Rowing Coastal Championships for clubs is being hosted for the first time in Istanbul, Turkey, this October.

The championships will be held in Caddebostan on the Asian coast of Istanbul from 22 to 24 October, 2010. This, says vice president of the Turkish Rowing Federation Ahmet Senkal, is an ideal spot in terms of spectator viewing from the beach and proximity to Istanbul’s population.

Coastal rowing is new to Turkey and the federation has 48 new coastal boats in their possession. These will be available for use at the championships with the boats then going to different Turkish clubs following the championships. Senkal says that Turkey will be represented in all six categories; the men’s single, double and coxed four and the women’s single, double and coxed four.

“It’s not important how our crews do,” says Senkal, “the main importance is to promote rowing.” Promotion got underway with last year’s ‘Marin Festival’ on the Bosphorus demonstrating solo coastal rowing. The Festival will happen again this year and Senkal says there will also be a coastal rowing competition at the beginning of September to test the championship site.

Senkal attended the World Rowing Coastal Championships for clubs last year in Great Britain’s Plymouth Harbour and says this year’s championships at Caddebostan, in between the Aegean Sea and the Bosphorus, will not be as rough. But, he says, the chance of varied conditions will remain as you can never tell what the winds will be like.

The Coastal Rowing Championships for clubs is an annual event with crews competing in standardised, FISA approved, boats. It is open to club crews from throughout the world with the majority of competitors primarily coming from France, Italy and Great Britain.

Entries close with FISA on 4 October 2010

For more information go to: www.wcrc2010istanbul.com