The location, Caddebostan at the junction of the Bosphorus and the Aegean Sea, was definitely unique and the first time the championships have gone outside of Europe, Caddebostan being in the Asian part of Istanbul. Over the two days of racing, temperatures stayed around 17 degrees Celsius with no rain and the waves remained, in coastal rowing standards, an easy half metre maximum height.

The races were on a rectangular course with women and men both rowing the same 8km distance in the six boat classes; single, double and coxed quad for men and women. The course shape meand that spectators could better see the racing as the course followed the beach front. France came out on top as the most successful country with seven medals, including three golds, from the six events.

France also had the most successful club. Cercle de l’Abiron de Nantes had just eight rowers competing in three boat classes and all three won gold: the men’s double sculls (Vincent Faucheux and Mathieu Le Nepvou), the women’s coxed quadruple sculls (Anne Bourcy, Ann-Sophie Breschet, Clotilde Girard, Charlene Malaboeuf and Marie Tavernier) and the women’s single scull (Marie Le Nepvou). Nantes, in western France, is on the Loire River, about 50km from the nearest coast. The relatively calm conditions in Istanbul must have served these club members well.

FISA commission member and Olympian Guin Batten (Great Britain) raced with German Olympic rower, Lenka Wech and together they won the women’s double sculls race. The duo are not new to coastal rowing. Last year at the coastal championships they were part of the crew that raced and won the coxed quad. Earlier this year Batten rowed 60km between two islands in the Maldives to promote rowing in that country.

The beach-front racing meant that many Turkish spectators enjoyed watching the racing as Caddebostan is a popular place for running and walking.

All of the boats used in racing were supplied by the Turkish Rowing Federation and they will now be distributed amongst Turkish rowing clubs. This is part of the plan to boost coastal rowing in Turkey. Ahmet Senkal, vice president of the Turkish Rowing Federation commented, “I believe that this championship will have positive effects and especially for people located on Black Sea coasts of Turkey.”

With 7000km of coastline Senkal believes Turkey is the perfect place for coastal rowing to get going and one of the reasons for hosting the coastal rowing championships was promote coastal rowing in Turkey.
“From next spring coastal rowing competitions will start in the whole of Turkey,” says Senkal.