BearingPoint Rowing World Cup
International Rowing
New season to kick-off in Eton, Great Britain
 Rowers
from 39 nations will be competing in the first leg of the
2005 BearingPoint Rowing World Cup to be held in Eton, Great
Britain from 26 to 28 May. Close to 500 athletes will row
in 217 boats on Dorney Lake not only as a first chance to
test the 2005 field, but also to test the course in preparation
for the 2006 World Rowing Championships.
Last year, Germany lead the points table with 189 points,
ahead of Great Britain (92 points) and Italy (80 points).
Germany has dominated the series consistently over the past
seven years, and with a contingent of 27 rowers entered for
Eton, is among one of the top represented countries for this
first event of the year.
The largest entry comes from Great Britain and includes 62
rowers in 25 boats.
In the follow-up to the Athens Olympics, and with many athletes
retired or on leave, the line-up still counts an impressive
53 Athens Olympic medallists. It also opens up opportunities
for up-and coming rowers to show their skills.
The BearingPoint World Cup finals, to be raced on Saturday
28 May, as well as an exclusive legends race staging Sir Steve
Redgrave and his 2000 Olympic crew against his then Olympic
opponents, will be transmitted live on the BBC, also host
broadcaster for the event. European sports channel Eurosport
as well as several other European television channels will
broadcast the finals live or deferred.
The Rowing World Cup series was launched back in 1997 and
includes all 14 Olympic boat classes. The overall BearingPoint
Rowing World Cup champions are determined after a series of
three regattas. This year, these will be held in Eton, Great
Britain (26 – 28 May), Munich, Germany (17 – 19
June) and the final in Lucerne, Switzerland (8 – 10
July).
About the Legends sprints
One of rowing's most famous moments will be re-created at
the BearingPoint Rowing World Cup Regatta to be held at Eton's
Dorney Lake near London at the end of the month.
Most of us will remember the historic moment that the GB
coxless four crossed the line ahead of Italy in the Sydney
Olympic final five years ago - a moment which saw Sir Steve
Redgrave win his fifth consecutive Gold medal.
That remarkable race will be re-run over the shorter distance
of 500m at the BearingPoint Rowing World Cup on May 28th when
11 of the 12 medallists from GB, Italy and Australia join
the Slovenian and New Zealand crew in the National Lottery
Legends Sprint.
The event is the brainchild of Steve Redgrave and will see
the participants flying in from around the globe to raise
money for the World Food Programme's School Feeding scheme
which is helping children and young people in Tsunami-affected
areas.
"Sir Steve said: "The National Lottery Legends
Sprint is a special race for us all. Not only does it reunite
Matthew, James, Tim and I, but it will also raise valuable
funds to support children whose lives have been dramatically
affected by the tsunami disaster.
"After the Sydney final, I never thought I would compete
with or against these great men again. Purely as a sportsman,
a chance to do so, against such talented competition, is enough
of an incentive for me to get back into a boat. Being able
to raise money that goes directly to children whose lives
have been devastated by the tsunami only adds to my desire
to take part in the race."
YOU can help by donating funds at www.steveredgrave.com.
Every single penny raised will go to help the young people
in those affected areas get their lives back in shape.
It costs just 10 English pence - that's around 19 US cents,
24 Australian cents, or 15 Euro cents - to feed one child
for a day. For further information on the School Feeding Programme
please visit www.wfp.org
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