This Friday (October 7) will see the start of the 2022 World Rowing Coastal Championships and Beach Sprint Finals in Saundersfoot.

Expect world-class rowing, with athletes from around the globe and decorated Olympians all battling the waves in what is sure to be a special atmosphere.

The event brings together two exciting formats of rowing across the two weekends, with the top club coastal rowers from around the world competing in a course along the beautiful coastline surrounding Saundersfoot over the opening three days; whilst the second weekend will see elite international competitors take part in the exciting new beach sprint rowing format.

The World Rowing Coastal Championships will take place from October 7 to 9, with the event attracting over 540 rowers from as far away as New Zealand, Peru, Japan and the United States.

The rowing course will be in and around Saundersfoot Bay around turning points, with a mass beach start and water finish. Crews will race 4km or 6km around a course of buoys and turning points in the open sea, providing some exhilarating racing! The course will meander across from Saundersfoot towards Coppet Hall Beach and back.

The World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals will be raced from 14 to 16 October 14 to 16 at the same location. The event debuted in 2019 and will, for the third edition, have just under 250 athletes from 26 nations doing the short course, beach start style race.

Beach Sprints are far faster, shorter race courses (across 250m) and involve a ‘Run, Race, Run’ format out to sea and back, along a buoyed course. It uses a time trial and knockout progression system. Races will last between 2.30 and 3.30 minutes each.

Beach Sprints are to feature at the 2023 World Beach Games in Bali, and the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal and have also been proposed as an Olympic event for 2028 to the International Olympic Committee, and at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Australia.