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Turkey geared for 2010 Coastal Champs

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03/03/2009

The World Rowing Coastal Championships for clubs leaves Europe for the first time in 2010. Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, is to host the championships as a measure to help boost coastal rowing in Turkey.

To be held the third week of October 2010, the venue is a busy beach at the junction between the Aegean Sea and the Bosphorus.

FISA’s Rowing for All Commission member Lionel Girard said that choosing Turkey was a strategic decision to help increase the number of countries involved in coastal rowing. “Turkey has a strong programme for the development of coastal rowing because of the huge possibilities offered by its coastline,” says Girard.

The championships will act as a springboard for Turkey into coastal rowing with 45 to 50 FISA standard coastal boats being purchased for the event. “These boats will be used after to create coastal clubs or to include coastal rowing in existing clubs,” says Girard. This also means that, for the first time, rowers will not have to bring their boats to the event as all boats will be supplied.

“At present,” says Girard, “coastal rowing exists only for fixed seat boats in Turkey. But the Turkish federation wants to develop the FISA standard coastal rowing as they consider the development possibilities are much more important than Olympic rowing.”

Vice-president of the Turkish Rowing Federation, Ahmet Senkal says that Turkey will host its first coastal rowing regatta this year in October. “This is scheduled for after we have received the first lot of our coastal boats.”

Senkal, who has been a member of the jury at the last two coastal championships says the regatta venue usually has wind and waves in October. “The venue is in the Asian part of Istanbul, just in the city and in a very crowded region.”

The Turkish Rowing Federation will organise the event with the help of local Istanbul rowing clubs.

This year the World Rowing Coastal Cchampionships go to Plymouth, Great Britain from 23 to 25 October 2009.