British Rowing launches Coastal Sculling Strategy
The Coastal Sculling Strategy will support the development of all forms of coastal sculling from grassroots participation through to Olympic performance
Photo: British Rowing
There is a long history of coastal rowing taking place around the UK, with a diverse range of associations, clubs and participants rowing and racing in a variety of coastal boat types, both sliding and fixed seat. Internationally the format has grown significantly in recent years, and the addition of the beach sprint format to the Olympic programme for LA2028 has boosted interest in all coastal disciplines.
‘Coastal sculling’ is the term used by British Rowing to define the internationally recognised coastal disciplines. There are three boat types – solos (single sculls), double sculls and coxed quadruple sculls – which meet a World Rowing approved equipment specification.
Racing takes place in two formats – ‘beach sprints’ at the European Beach Sprint Championships and the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals as well as the next Olympic Games, and the ‘endurance’ format, which takes place offshore over a 4-6km course and has its own European and World Championships.
These coastal formats, in addition to several others that are well-established around the UK, also offer an excellent opportunity for growth of the sport of rowing as the UK’s lengthy coastline is ideal for new grass roots participation, whether simply for general health and wellbeing or competition.
The Coastal Sculling Strategy aims to support the development of these World Rowing coastal formats, whilst also helping other forms of coastal rowing already taking place around the UK to continue to thrive.
The strategy is divided into three tiers, Community, Olympic Pathway and Olympic Performance. It will be supported by a new partnership with the specialist coastal equipment and event supplier Swift Racing UK, and continued close working with our Home Nations partners Scottish Rowing and Welsh Rowing as well as the wide variety of coastal rowing clubs and associations.
Community Strategy
At a community level the aims of the Coastal Sculling Strategy are to:
- Increase the number of well supported clubs delivering and/or engaging with Coastal Sculling activity
- Increase access and affordability to World Rowing standard boats and equipment available across UK
- Increase the number of qualified coaches and volunteers to enable coastal sculling activity to happen both locally and as part of exciting outreach programmes
- Increase the number of competitors participating at recognised and affiliated local regional and national events, including the British Coastal Championships and British Rowing Beach Sprint Championships.
Key to the above will be the extension of the Coastal Sculling Academy programme. This aims to recognise and provide enhanced support to the clubs that are key deliverers of coastal sculling activity and provide the equipment and coaching needed to introduce people to the format.
British Rowing’s new Community Development Officer, Rob Mayes, will lead on support for the Coastal Sculling Academies and the wider coastal community.
Olympic Pathway Strategy
This tier of the strategy, which overlaps the community level, will see the development of an Olympic Pathway for Coastal Sculling. This will have a particular focus on the beach sprint format as we build towards LA 2028 and beyond.
The aims of the Olympic Pathway level of the Coastal Sculling Strategy are to:
- Create a GB Coastal Sculling Pathway for those targeting GB representation in both the beach sprint and endurance formats
- Identify individuals from all backgrounds who demonstrate future potential (for the 2032 Olympic cycle and beyond), with a particular focus on the Olympic Beach Sprint format.
To achieve these aims, we will be launching a new network of GB Beach Sprint Performance Development Academies, to which talented individuals can be signposted to get the highest quality specialist coaching and support.
Olympic Performance Strategy
Following the addition of beach sprints to the Olympic programme for LA2028, the GB Rowing Team is launching a new Beach Sprint Performance programme. The aims of this are to:
- Achieve medal-winning performances at World and Olympic level by developing a beach sprint-specific model of performance delivery for rowing, which engages new, and more diverse, groups of performance athletes
- Support athletes who are part of this UK Sport-funded World Class Programme with the training environment, coaching and performance services to deliver medal winning performances within the current Olympic cycle (LA 2028).
The first step in the development of this new programme was the announcement of the appointment of Tom Pattichis to the new role of Olympic Head Coach – Beach Sprints.
We are currently identifying the first cohort of athletes who will join the new Olympic Beach Sprint programme to work towards LA2028.
