Daily Digest: Heats completed in Barletta

The remainder of the heats were completed in glorious conditions at the 2023 World Rowing Coastal Championships in Barletta, Italy this morning. While the wind picked up slightly in the afternoon, it was enough to keep the athletes cool without impacting the conditions significantly.

Bak is back!

Christopher Bak of Next Level Rowing (USA01) was dominant in the first heat of the men’s solo, crossing the line almost 40 seconds ahead of Gregor Hall of University of St Andrews Rowing Club (GBR01). Asked what his secret was, Bak replied “Gelato the night before!“. With such a large entry in this boat class, it was just the top six of the 16 boats that made it through to the Final A, the next six to Final B, and the remainder were eliminated.

Familiar names in mixed doubles

Two very familiar French names won heat one of the coastal mixed double sculls. Vincent Noirot and Edwige Alfred (FRA06), a composite crew from Seynois and Lyon Caluire were first to the beach finishing over ten seconds ahead of ESP01 from Real Circulo de Labradores de Sevilla. Heat two saw familiar British names take then win when Clare Jamison and Charles Cousins of Mumbles Amateur Rowing Club (GBR02) took the win, over ten seconds ahead of Brazil Rowing Team (BRA01). It will be exciting to see the French and British go head-to-head in the final tomorrow afternoon in what will be the last race of the Championships.

Spain and Ireland secure two more places in CM1x final

In the second heat of the men’s solo, scullers representing Spanish Clubs booked two more places in the Final A after the race was won by Club Remo Torrevieja’s Oihan Gozategi Urbieta. Speaking after the race, he said “I expected that the water would be flat but there was swells and some wind, so I liked it!” Moments later, Juan Luis Fernandez Tomas claimed the third Final A place for Spain, representing Club Nautic Amposta. Ireland also booked two a further two places in the men’s solo medal final, which will take place tomorrow afternoon.

Rowing Club Genovese impress on home waters

The cheers from the home supporters filling the grandstand increased as ITA01 approached the beach dominating the second heat of the coastal men’s coxed quadruple sculls, but it was a close race! As 12 boats raced for 9 places in the Final A, it was one of the closest finishes we have seen so far. It was another Italian crew (ITA04), a composite boat, that was just the wrong side of the qualification line, and will need to contest the Final B.

Familiar names from flat-water take to the sea

We’re used to seeing Austria’s Magdalena and Katharina Lobnig racing together on flat-water courses and it was great to see them out on the seas of Barletta today racing in the second heat of the women’s double sculls. The Lobnig’s came up against the experienced coastal rower Janneke van der Meulen who was racing with Karien Robbers representing Hollandia Rowing Club (NED02). The Austrians got ahead but those two lead boats remained close throughout. It was Austria that was first to the beach though. Asked about her first experience of coastal rowing, Lobnig said;

“Good! Very nice! It’s different to normal rowing but it’s a lot of fun and this distance I think is really cool!”

Another heat win for Cousins

Just a couple of hours after he had won his heat of the mixed double sculls, Charles Cousins of Mumbles ARC (GBR) was on the water again, racing in the third heat of the men’s solo.  While they had led the double off the start, in the solo, Cousins was not the quickest off the start – that was Gabriele Loconsole of Canottieri Cernobbio 1901 ASD (ITA02). However, by the finish, the Brit was in a comfortable position, and got to the buzzer over 15 seconds in the lead.

Asked how he handled the quick turnaround, Cousins said; “I jumped on the rowing machine, did ten minutes, and I was good to go again”

Heats completed

The last heat to be raced was the third heat in the mixed double. Chloe Briard and Kerrian Boulay of Societe Nautique De La Baie De Saint-Malo got the early lead in this one but they were being kept under pressure from ITA01 and IRL02. However, the Irish played an absolute blinder in the second half of the race when the composite crew of Monika Dukarska and Ronan Byrne from Shandon and Portmagee took a turning buoy on the inside, and took the lead!

Racing concludes tomorrow, 8 October, with finals in all boat classes. B-Finals begin at 8:00 CET, followed by the A-Finals at 10:00.