Power8 Sprints returns to the Bristol Harbour Festival in 2019
Power8 Sprints will be the headline act on the water on Sunday, 21 July 2019
Manchester's men's crew winning Power8 Sprints in 2018 (c) PA
Power8 Sprints will return as the headline act on the water at the Bristol Harbour Festival on Sunday, 21 July following a hugely successful event in 2018.
The sprint rowing event created by British Rowing sees crews from eight UK cities battle it out over a 350m course through the centre of Bristol in a bid to be crowned Power8 Sprints champions.
Male and female crews from each city race in eights – the blue riband event of the Olympic Games – in a knock-out tournament that sees fast and furious racing from start to finish.
At the inaugural event in 2018, Oxford’s women’s crew took home the title beating the home water favourite Bristol in dominant style. While Manchester took the men’s title in a mad-dash sprint for the line which saw them pip local crew Bristol in a new course record time of 51.30 seconds.
With over 25,000 people watching from the harbour walls, and tens of thousands watching on BT Sport, BBC online and Power8 Sprints Facebook, it made for an electric rowing event.
Andy Parkinson, CEO of British Rowing, said: “We are delighted that Power8 Sprints will return to the water in Bristol this summer. Bristol provided the perfect backdrop for this new sprint rowing event. The support from the local people was phenomenal and made for a great atmosphere. We’re looking forward to welcoming back all the cities from last year, to what promises to be another high-octane event.”
Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford will all return to race in Bristol on 21 July, as they battle to wrestle back the title from winning crews Manchester (men) and Oxford (women).
