Antalya, Türkiye – October 6, 2025 — In the lead-up to the 2025 European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships, the World Rowing Coastal Race Module (CRM) was successfully held in Antalya from Saturday 4th to Monday 6th October 2025. The regional training initiative brought together 15 rowing coaches from 10 European nations, focusing on developing coaching capacity for the rapidly growing discipline of coastal and beach sprint rowing.
The self-funded course invited European Rowing Federations to nominate their national coaches to participate in an intensive three-day programme combining classroom theory and hands-on beach and water sessions. The course was led by a team of World Rowing Coach Educators, under the leadership of Sahbi Khardani, assisted by Vincent Tassery and Emma Benany.
This initiative forms part of World Rowing’s long-term legacy programme, designed to enhance technical knowledge and coaching capability within European Rowing Federations ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and future Beach Sprint events.
The participating coaches — 10 men and 5 women — represented Hungary, Finland, Türkiye, Switzerland, Czechia, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Malta, and Italy. Throughout the three days, they explored the distinctive technical, tactical, and logistical aspects of coastal rowing through both structured discussions and practical exercises on Antalya’s coast.
Course Highlights
The CRM aimed to provide experienced rowing coaches with an introduction to preparing athletes for championship-level coastal and beach sprint events, including the Youth Olympic Games. The curriculum covered a wide range of topics, including:
Introduction to Racing Coastal Rowing — understanding the discipline’s format, equipment, and athlete profiles.
Safe Management of On-Water Coaching Sessions — risk management, navigational awareness, float plans, and safety briefings.
Launching, Landing, and Rescue Drills — essential safety skills for coaches and athletes.
Race Technique and Tactics — covering all phases of racing, from the start, slalom rowing, and turns, to working the water and finishing on the beach.
Race Logistics and Operations — physical demands of beach sprints, event progression, boat handling, standard rigging, and lane selection.
Setting Up Training and Selection Courses — guidance on running effective beach sprint preparation and athlete trials.
The Antalya CRM served not only as a technical workshop but also as a networking platform for European rowing professionals committed to the sport’s coastal future. As Beach Sprints continues to grow towards the LA28 Olympic Games, initiatives like this ensure that Europe’s coaching community remains at the forefront of innovation and excellence.
World Rowing wishes to thank the Organising Committee for their on-the-ground support and cooperation in successfully hosting the educational course.