It鈥檚 described as the 鈥渆xtreme version鈥� of rowing and it鈥檚 coming to the beaches of Sidney.
The World Rowing Coastal Championships have been awarded to Sidney and are to take place Oct. 11-14. It will mark the first time the event has been held in sa国际传媒, with previous championships being held in Europe and South America.
Coastal rowing involves rowing along a coast, often out into the open water. Rowing on rough water means coastal rowing is very different from the flat-water Olympic style racing where the boats stay in lanes. A coastal course takes competitors around buoys, sometimes in large packs jostling for position.
The standard boats are singles (or solo), doubles and coxed quadruple sculls. The boats are substantially wider and, therefore, more stable than Olympic boats.
When the conditions are windy or wavy, there can be spectacular scenes of boats literally riding the waves. Some will even get open air, breaching the waves.
When organizers were hunting for a location for the 2018 event, Rowing sa国际传媒 jumped at the opportunity.
鈥淩owing sa国际传媒 Aviron is thrilled to support the successful bid for the first coastal rowing championships held in North America,鈥� CEO Terry Dillon said.
鈥淲e are confident that the organizing committee will deliver a world-class event and leave a lasting legacy for coastal rowing in sa国际传媒.鈥�
There will be free access to the site for spectators, and organizers hope to have large crowds for the world鈥檚 best in coastal rowing.
The 2017 World Rowing Coastal Championships were held in Thonon, France, on the waters of Lake Geneva, the first time the event was held on fresh water. Competitors from 30 countries took part, with more than 600 rowers racing across six boat classes.
As part of the legacy of the event, the 48 coastal boats provided for the championship will be available for purchase by rowing clubs after the event.
