So what is coastal rowing?

Coastal Rowing is the extreme version of rowing, and involves rowing on large lakes and the sea. It is one of the fastest growing communities of rowers with excellent opportunities given that flat water is not required. 

Coastal rowing in Europe

The standard boats are singles (solo), doubles and coxed quadruple sculls. Coastal Rowing is comprised of two event formats, one is the endurance event which ranges between 4 –6km around a buoyed course, and the other is the sprint event known as “Beach Sprints”. As the name suggests, the race begins on the beach with a rower running out to the boat to its’ waiting crew and racing a distance of 500m, which can involve a buoyed slalom course, before returning to the beach and running to the finish line. 

The pinnacle events on the international Coastal Rowing racing calendar are the club-based endurance style World Rowing Coastal Championships and the nation-based sprint style World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals. Coastal Touring is the recreational or social aspect of the discipline.

The IOC and World Rowing are promoting Coastal Rowing as a future Olympic discipline and exploring its’ potential following its inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, and recently held Europe’s first Coastal Rowing regatta; the European Coastal Rowing Challenge in Livorno, Italy. There is still consideration around whether a potential Olympic discipline will be the Beach (sprint) or Coastal (endurance) format. At the recent FISA Extraordinary Congress the Member Federations supported the proposal put forward by World Rowing to include Coastal Rowing in 2024 Olympic Games.

Mercs goes coastal

Mercantile has acquired a couple of coastal quad sculls and a double scull to encourage the sport. The inaugural row took place on Thursday 19 November with a masters crew.

Mercs enters the water at Port Melbourne

Mercs flying into shore with the wind behind them
Bow: Andrew Guerin, 2: Hamish Fitzsimmons, 3: Alex Kinsella, Str: Will Legge, Cox: Bill Webster

A group of masters took to the water during storm conditions to test out their skills. The row was short but exciting - crashing through and over waves. The conclusion was that perhaps a higher level pof skill would be required for those conditions.

Anyone who wishes to take up the coastal rowing sport should contact the Secretary. We would like to see Mercs represented at the National Championships in August 2020 and perhaps at the Worlds in Portugal in October 2020.