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 Iztok Cop did not hide his joy: "We were like kids having fun!" With partner Luka Spik, the Slovenian champion attended the 2007 World Rowing Coastal Championships for Clubs held in Mandelieu, near Cannes (FRA), last weekend. Not in view of competing with the other 600 rowers who had entered the championships, but to match-race favourite double rivals Adrien Hardy and Jean-Baptiste Macquet of France.
 At the invitation of Hardy's former crewmate and 2004 Olympic champion Sebastien Vieilledent, the four men had come to experience the waves of the Mediterranean Sea, racing three sets of 600m. The French proved to be the best, winning two to one. At the finish, they exploded with joy, as though they had won the Olympic Games. "It was just for fun," said Hardy later on. "Fun" really did seem to be the keyword illustrating this friendly regatta.
 Until Sunday, the day of the match-race, none of the four athletes had ever raced in the sea. Bad weather conditions had prevented them from training on Saturday afternoon, and so the 2006 and 2007 world champions discovered the discipline of coastal rowing on the day. "In the sea, you need to row quickly with shorter strokes," explained Macquet. "As we usually row with longer strokes, we had to change our style." But neither of the crews conducted detailed scientific research and both essentially trusted their instinct. "There are some technical differences, but rowing is rowing," said Hardy after the race.
 So once they understood how to master the waves, the most interesting difficulty they faced was going around the buoys: "When you're going fast, they're quite difficult. But once you've started turning, it's ok."
Heading back to the beach is what the four rowers seemed to enjoy most. A big wave carried Cop and Spik when they went through the entrance of the bay, and trying to repeat the experience, they headed back to the open sea.
This friendly meeting between the kings of the double was only the first in a long series leading to the Games. Their next get together would be at the Trofeo Silverskiff, in Turin, Italy, from 10 to 11 November.
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