Surfboat racing at Watergate Bay

The third round of the Surfboat Summer Series will be held at Watergate Bay on Saturday 11th July.

Rowers from all over the country will race through the waves in 180kg fibre-glass surfboats to compete for points towards the UK Surf Rowers League (UKSRL) overall league title.

Each surfboat is manned by crews of five people: four rowers provide the power, and the boat is steered by a fifth person, the sweep. Teams race their boats from a beach start, through the waves out to a buoy, before returning back to the shore in the fastest possible time.

Having originated in Australia over 100 years ago, surfboat racing grew to prominence in the UK in the 1970s. In 1999, the UKSRL was established and crews from all over Cornwall began to organise their own races.

The 2015 race series consists of six rounds where both men and women’s teams take part. Crews compete…