Thanks to Luca Pavletič from Canottieri Genovesi Elpis for this photograph of the World Coastal Rowing Championships 2008 - Sanremo, Italy.

Mayflower Offshore Rowing Club is pleased to announce that the venue for the Championships has been moved across the River Plym to the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC) at Queen Anne Battery Marina. RWYC is a world renowned venue for marine championships. The event is to be staged from the 23rd to the 25 of October 2009.

This move brings the Championship into the heart of the old quarter of Plymouth, it brings competitors and supporters closer to the major accommodation centres and alongside the social venue: The National Marine Aquarium.

Sir Steven Redgrave, CBE has agreed to be the Patron of the Championships. Sir Steve Redgrave is principally known for his achievement as being a quintuple Olympic gold medallist rower by winning gold in five consecutive Olympics, culminating in Sydney in 2000.

Sir Steven will be the Guest of Honour and principal speaker at a black-tie sportsmen’s dinner on the 13th June 2009. This dinner will signal the start of a series of events leading up to and promoting the Championships in October. For more details/tickets for this prestigious event contact: David Shepherd + 44 (0) 7891 056368 or e-mail him at: david.shepherd@hotmail.co.uk

Any potential competitors wishing to visit Plymouth before the 2009 Championships will be very welcome. MORC has 2 open events this year: The Breakwater Bash (using the World Coastal Rowing Championship course) on Saturday, 16/05/2009 and The Eddystone Challenge on 15/08/2009. These are sea races of 8km and 40km respectively. If you are interested please check the club website at: www.mayfloweroffshorerowingclub.co.uk or contact Tony Lovering by e-mail at kathylovering@aol.com or telephone 44 (0) 7739 917040.