What makes a great Coastal Rowing Event - Version 2 (updated July 2022)

This is an updated version of our November 2021 article - the changes are shown in blue font.

Over the past year we have had the chance to participate in fantastic regional, national and international coastal rowing events. Here are a few reflections since returning from the last two events in Scotland and Wales, structured into the following themes:

- Location

- Planning and preparation

- Course and race format

- Race organisation and logistics

- Boats and equipment

- Looking after our athletes

- Fun and apres rowing

Our sport has Olympic aspirations and is now attracting elite full time athletes who rightly expect high standards at international competitions. They want an event environment that provides an opportunity to perform to their maximum capability.

The best events seem to focus on giving the athletes and their support team the best ‘experience’ – with event organisers putting themselves in the shoes (flip flops?!) of the rowers, coxes, boat handlers, boat providers and trailer towing teams. This all starts in the planning stage which should consider the following key aspects in particular well in advance of the arrival of teams:

- Timing of the event around other competitions

- Consideration of local accommodation and travel issues

- Access and parking of trailers, high top vehicles and boats

- How to keep logistics (moving of boats, athletes and course) as simple as possible

- Key coordination people with local knowledge who are active from arrival of the first teams to departure of the last

- Early establishment of WhatApp groups to share information with everyone

- Shelters on the beach (for wind, rain, cold and hot)

The aim should be for everyone to be prepared in advance and for all athletes to have a great experience… whatever the result!

Spectators and supporters are starting to access live streaming services and like to see how their crews are performing - whether they are at the front of the field, or involved in a tussle with other lower ranked crews.

Local and regional events are also continuing to develop and improve, with athletes using them to prepare for national and international race meetings. In many ways this mimics the format of other more established sports such as dinghy sailing events, although these also feature weekly or twice per week club racing too, providing parking and plenty of room for storage of boats and equipment will make life easier. Sand is easier on the athletes, boat handlers and boats. A gentle slope reduces the shore break / wave dump, making launch and landing safer and more controlled.

Demarcation of the rowing and public swimming areas is very important. Every major UK event in the past year has shown shown us that the public are often unaware of our sport and its dangers. Swimmers have routinely entered the race course and put themselves in danger. The ability to segregate the event from members of the public is important - the World Championship in Oeiras, Portugal achieved this largely through taking over most of the beach. Demarcation of the course boundary and the placement of ‘watchers’ with loudhailers may help to reduce risk to the public.

There are an increasing number of athletes bringing their boats to events on trailers and using camper vans / motorhomes. The size and weight of our boats and trailers is significant and parking arrangements need to be able to cope with them. Parking arrangements need to be agreed in advance with the relevant owners of these facilities and it is useful for a member of the logistics team to be present as vehicles arrive to help coordinate any inevitable issues that emerge when vehicles of all shapes and sizes converge at the event.

Planning and Preparation

The timing of events needs to take other competitions into account. Ideally we need a structured series of events that leads up to the World Championships so that athletes can find their natural 'level' and hone their skills for the bigger events. Where an event clashes with others, it would be useful for the organisers to explain the rationale for the timing – clearly the tides, public events at the beach and other factors cannot be changed.We must also recognise that athletes are likely to be expected to prioritise coastal events over other activities if they want to perform at the highest level.

Events should be held near (or at) an existing coastal club to help inspire new members from the local community and also make use of local knowledge of the sea, tide, beach and weather conditions.

Having a calendar of events issued at the end of the preceding year allows adequate time for athletes to prepare, plan and budget for the year ahead... and negotiate the time with their families.

Course and race format

This is a subject that will continue to cause a lot of discussion, with a range of different opinions. I am going to continue 'sitting on the fence' as I enjoy all types of rowing and a variety of challenges.

We need exciting conditions to row in. Waves, wind and tides all contribute to the spectacle. Flat water is boring. Courses that pass along the coast and provide good viewing points for spectators would be good.

Running Beach Sprints as a niche fun event alongside the mainstream offshore endurance events seems to work very well. Some athletes perform better in one discipline, but an increasing number seem to be able to perform at a very high level in both.

Beach starts and finishes are exciting for boat handlers / crews / spectators and are a real challenge in waves. They do increase the risk of damage to boats, crews and boat handlers though, especially if the crew has not practiced them in training. Crews need to be competent to row in the conditions and boat handlers need to be well drilled, with a clear routine for safely launching and recovering boats.

Water starts and finishes allow more time for launching and recovering boats, they can look spectacular when viewed across the start line.

Chicanes increase the excitement when crews are close together and also give some opportunity to outmanoeuvre competing crews.

Whatever course format is decided, it is essential to publish it early so that the crews have time to learn about is and train in advance of the race. Last minute changes or uncertainty need to be avoided if at all possible as athletes have spent many months training and deserve the opportunity to put it into action in an organised manner.

There are an increasing number of Masters and Junior rowers at our competitions. Some events have included specific races for them to compete against each other. Organisers should continue in expanding this trend and encouraging club rowers to participate alongside professional rowers.

Spectators on the beach and on-line need to be fed with high quality race information. The use of drones, GPS, telemetry and onboard cameras is starting to provide real time imagery and data that adds to the excitement levels. Feedback from people watching on-line is showing that they want a perspective of the whole race and where their local crews are at each stage. Information on stroke rate, speed and mini competitions for lower ranked places helps local clubs to virtually cheer on their crews.

The excellent images and video footage from recent competitions is fantastic for helping to promote our sport and explain it to people who might join our local clubs.

Race organisation and logistics

Entry systems for registering crews seem to be very good, as does the flexibility in changing things e.g. if athletes become ill and need to be replaced.

The best race events outline the rules in advance and then enforce them consistently throughout. There seem to be a range of penalty options for starting infringements, missing buoys or having collisions. The athletes need to be very clear on the rules and see them being used to avoid fairness concerns.

Local changes to the ‘World Rowing’ rules (e.g. right of way at the buoy) can be very confusing and should be avoided if possible – we need to be using our local events to prepare for racing at international meetings. Whatever rules are going to be used, they need to be set out and communicated in advance of the event.

Recent events have dramatically improved the stability of course buoys through improved anchoring systems. This is great, there's nothing more frustrating than chasing a moving buoy.

Boat handling makes a huge difference to athlete performance, efficiency of running the event and safety. Handlers need to be well trained, friendly, and helpful to assist in both launching and recovery of boats. They also need to be physically fit, wearing appropriate clothing (ideally at least neoprene leggings), visible and aware of the safe lifting limits.

The parking areas for boats need to be clearly defined and avoid disrupting the course, especially where the tide is moving up and down the beach or on busy days when the public are present. A coordinator should be assigned to direct the boats to the parking area after each race.

Rescue and camera boats should be aware of their impact on the race. They should avoid positioning in front or behind course buoys as this obscures them from the competitors. During the race, powerboats should avoid washing down the fleet of of boats when following the race leader - there is nothing more frustrating (or boring for spectators) than boats trying to catch up with the leader being knocked off course whilst the leader accelerates away in clean water. Drones and GPS trackers are great - they capture the action without impacting it.

At the Euros in Italy we saw extensive use of really useful boat trolleys that could be adjusted to handle singles, doubles and quads. This was supplemented by the use of quad bikes to tow them around the beach, which made the whole operation safer, more slick and reduced the number of trained boat handlers required.

Tee shirts are very popular and providing a momento of the event and also helping to promote it when the athletes return to their club. The designs are becoming more eye-catching and reinforce the 'different' and exciting nature of our version of rowing.

Having been stopped by passing local people at almost every event, it is clear that we should do more to explain the sport to the general public. Most people don't have a clue what we are doing but many are starting to spend time watching at the beach, especially when the music is playing and commentators are explaining things.

The race boundary on the beach is as important as that on the water. The best events have a clearly defined segregation of the public from the race zone to help with safety and prevent people straying into the racing. Use of movable fencing and flags / signage also adds to the race event vibe. When athletes are running from the water to the finish line it is useful for them to see a clear ‘funnel’ to the finish line lined with spectators – and adds to the athlete experience.

On the subject of communication, the British and World Championships benefited from a continuous stream of professional commentary. Clearly the commentators had taken time to understand the competition, athletes, course, weather and tides. Audiences were impressed to see them actually predicting what might happen... and then seeing it 'play out' on the sea. This is exactly what the sport needs and only comes from a team of professionals who have followed the progression and evolution of our sport to build up their knowledge, combined with impressive technical back-up.

Similarly in photography of our events it is easy to spot the high quality images captured by professionals who understand the sport, crews, weather, key points of the course and picture composition. They simply manage to capture the action, joy and pain!

Boats and equipment

Appropriate boats are important for rowers who are travelling long distances to events and relying upon equipment rented from suppliers. Those who bring their own boats and equipment (that has been set up during training at home) are potentially at a distinct advantage. Events need to be able to cope with the logistics and storage of an increasing number of these private and club owned boats.

Boats with 'beach piercing' bows that cause them to stop suddenly, causing athletes to be catapulted backwards seem more and more inappropriate for Beach Sprint events with beach finishes. Sharp 'knife edge' carbon wave deflectors and unpadded bow riggers positioned at the base of the athletes spine also seem to create needless risk.

I'm all for innovation, however event organisers also need to make sure that boats are safe. The last thing we need is for injuries to caused by 'unfinished' boats with sharp edges or adaptions should the boat capsize or during the boat entry / exit. At the moment pre-race checks seem to focus on tow ropes and heel restraints and weight. Maybe checks should be extended to consider factors that could cause injury through cuts or body impact?

Boat suppliers with 'pit crews' who have tools, spares and knowledge to set up and fix problems are essential in the highly charged competition environment. Events are often very tightly scheduled, with minimal gaps between races. This means that configuration of boats between races will require good organisation and close cooperation between crews using the same boat. Crews should double check their boats before each race using a clear checklist and table of settings.

Pool / hire blades need to be appropriate to the conditions. Personally, I would expect to have blades that are in the range 280-285 long for coastal rowing. This allows them to be set for higher wind and larger waves. Some athletes may prefer to have longer blades, however we have seen far too many long blades (e.g. 287-292cm) at coastal race meetings.

Tow ropes need to be properly secured to avoid them washing loose and jamming in the seat runners.

Rigger pins should be fitted with quick release 'C' washers to enable the athletes to quickly adjust gate heights between races.

Some boats take on a lot of water and need to be emptied out between races. This may require the boat to be tilted up at an extreme angle or for sponges to be made available to bail out the hull.

Most events seem to stipulate that boats will have adjustable rubber shoes fitted. I would advise athletes to bring neoprene socks in which to race - these are both more comfortable in the shoes and also reduce the risk of hurting your foot when running on the beach.

One last point on boats… We must recognise the efforts of a core group of suppliers who support our events. Certain individuals go beyond what is reasonably expected – travelling huge distances, living away from home for weeks on end and responding to technical issues / breakages (even on competitors boats) to keep events moving. Please take time to thank them.

Looking after our athletes

Most of the time athletes spend at the beach they need to be sheltered from the weather - having shade from the sun and shelter from wind, rain and low temperatures. This is likely to be especially important at the Saundersfoot World Championship which is being held in the Welsh autumn where we normally see cooler temperatures and stormy conditions.

Athletes are the most enthusiastic spectators. They need to be located on the beach in a warm and sheltered area with views of the water and ideally the video screen during the racing.

Athletes need good nutrition and access to free drinking water to be able to perform at the top level. Traditional UK beach food such as fish and chips, burgers, etc is less appropriate than the Mediterranean diet of fish, lean meat and fresh fruit and vegetables that we saw at the World Championships in Oeiras. Many people will want to cater for themselves and eat familiar good quality food when racing, hence it is important that they know where the local stores are located and have self-catering accommodation available.

Our larger events are held over many days or even two weeks. Access to good washing and drying facilities is important, especially if the weather is cold and wet. Not everyone can afford to buy multiple all in ones, etc. I'm not sure how athletes are coping in hotels but the washing machines in our AirBNB's have been very useful.

Fun and apres rowing

Events with music playing (sunshine helps too) have a vibe that is hard to beat. Why not make more events feel like a party - a festival of rowing? We have experienced some fantastic racing with soundtrack that lifts the athletes and boat handlers (you might even see a few umpires getting into the groove…) whilst also grabbing the attention of the public who are usually curious to see what is happening.

Once the public show more interest in the sport it will help to attract sponsorship to help fund the events.

Once the pressure of the event is released everyone needs to help with the considerable task of de-rigging and loading boats onto trailers... then the party can begin.

At this point I have to admit that the Irish team are best to advise on how to party! From recent experience, people seem to enjoy the chance to socialise and chat in a comfortable and informal environment - more 'flip flops' than blazers. Most recent events seem to have ended with smaller groups meeting for a meal and drinks, largely due to Covid-19 restrictions, rather than having a whole event party. The recent British Championships coincided with a social event in the town which was great for those who had finished racing on Saturday afternoon…!

Looking forward to the rest of 2022

Events are clearly developing and improving at all levels from club to international. Lessons are being learned, however there is still more to be done.

Coastal rowing events are expanding globally with events across Europe and the UK building up to the October World Championships at Saundersfoot in Wales and Europeans in San Sebastian.

The British Championships held at Saundersfoot in June 2022 have shown that the bay has huge potential to provide true ‘coastal conditions’. Given the variable Welsh climate, small size of the town, cramped logistics and considerable tidal range, this will be a challenging event for both organisers and athletes. The race conditions could be epic though!

220702 What makes a great coastal rowing event - Issue 2

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