Plymouth rowers coast through to World Championship Finals

PLYMOUTH’S Mayflower Offshore Rowing Club is celebrating after taking part in the 2017 World Rowing Coastal Championship in France.

The event took place on Lake Geneva in Thonon le Baines and attracted hundreds of competitors and supporters.

Mayflower Offshore Rowing Club (MORC) entered five crews in four different categories – women’s quad sculls, women’s single sculls, two men’s quad sculls and men’s single sculls.

Two of the boats, named Eyes Ahead and Joint Venture, are sponsored by Specsavers in Plymouth. Eyes Ahead was rowed by James Lovering and Fiona Carmichael, current British champion in coastal rowing in women’s single sculls.

Competitor Ania Weiczorek says: ‘We had a really successful weekend with great results for all heats. Our ladies quad, including myself, Phoebe Winter, Jackie Bailey-Tucker and Jill Lees, took a fantastic 13th place with time of 30 minutes and 21 seconds in the 6k final A, making them the best GB ladies quadruple coxed scull in coastal rowing. 

‘Our British champ, Fiona Carmichael, in Eyes Ahead took 13th place with 33 minutes and 58 seconds in the 6k course. Our men’s single took 13th place in Final B with a time of 21 minutes and one second in the 4k course with the two men quadruple coxed sculls taking ninth and 12th place with 18 minutes 44 seconds and 19 minutes 40 sec in the 4k course.’ 

Specsavers Plymouth store director, Dr Josie Forte, says: ‘We are delighted to sponsor the Mayflower coastal rowing team. They have a brought back some fantastic results from the World Championships and we look forward to continuing to support them in the future’.

The club is continuing its training and is encouraging more people to get into rowing, with this year's WRC Championship in France having attracted 269 crews and 628 competitors.