Canal Cup to feature Canada’s Olympic champion eight

Some of the best men’s eights in the world will be gathering to thrill the crowds with their rowing machine raw power, tantalising the spectators with sprint racing and impressing the punters with the legendary long distance race for the Canal Cup.

Beijing Olympic Champions Canada will be there. So will silver medallists Great Britain and the fourth-placed Dutch. Germany has put together a new eight and will be out to defend their 2007 Canal Cup title.

But the “Spirit of Rendsburg” is offering much more. The 150,000 expected spectators will get to see the challenge “old vs. young”. Just turned 18, Lauritz Schoof, junior World Champion in the double, will race off in a single against the legendary 55-year-old Peter-Michael Kolbe. Former World Champion and multiple Olympic medallist Kolbe will race Schoof in a best-of-three format on the Kiel Canal.

More than 1,200 participants will take part in the main fun event, the dragon boat racing. There will also be youth racing on the Concept2 rowing machines for pupils from local schools and clubs and (new this year) the youth fire brigades.

Organiser Florian Berndt says the main long distance race (12.7km) will stop ships on the Canal while the race is happening. “There won’t be moving ships on the race course for 40 minutes during the main eights rowing race.” Berndt says it is quite a sight to see the huge ships lined up waiting to continue their journey.

The event begins on Friday 10 October and finish with the main Canal Cup race on Sunday 12 October. The evening of 11 October will include a fireworks display with live performance from Germany and international music acts including Madcon from Norway and Right Said Fred from Great Britain.

For further information please see: http://www.eonhansecup.de

For a live webcam with an overview of the finishing area in the Rendsburg harbour: www.canalcup-cam.de