Similar to cars, the new Coastal Boats are becoming more and more similar in their shape and technology. And the differences between different manufacturers and boats are not really easy to spot for amateurs, especially if you come from Olympic Rowing and just started with Coastal Rowing. Therefore, it is important that you understand what to look for when you buy a new (or used) Coastal Boat.
In the beginning, it is really important to understand where you actually use the boat – at the coast, in a bay, or at a large lake with rough water. Because even though you might be able to row your coastal boat everywhere, there is no boat that is perfect for all bodies of water. And not every “Light Boat” is actually a light boat. It’s good to compare.
Brands like KANGHUA, Swift, RUBENETTTI and Filippi are successful at regattas at the moment. Especially if you think about competing at races or beach sprints those are the brands to consider. All 3 companies probably only differ in details and that is why it is important to know where you use the boat most of the time. The conditions in a harbor or large bay are completely different to the conditions on open waters or a coastline.
We have talked to successful French and Irish Coastal Rowers about their preferences, and they told us that their recommendations are the RS1 by RS-Sport, the C1x Race 11 and C2x Race 21 by RUBENETTI. Very surprisingly the Kanghua Co2x was mentioned as very performing. If you are interested in any of those boats, please contact us, and we might be able to arrange a viewing and a test row.
In either way, if you look at Coastal Boats, have a look at the hull. You’ll find V-Shapes, U-Shapes and even Y-shapes. Another aspect is the shape of the fin. But that’s a complete different story. Click here to learn more about the fin.
Modern Coastal Boats are produced either by hand-lamination or vacuum-injection. Vacuum-injection requires more equipment and is therefore slightly more expensive than hand-lamination, but the boats are lighter and stiffer. The semi-automatic process leads to a better distribution of the resins within the fabric.
If you want to compete in regattas, you should always look for boats that fulfil the FISA requirements. And the factor here is the weight. FISA has a minimum weight for the different boat classes but some brands like RUBENETTI or RS Boats have some models that are lighter than the FISA specifications. Those lighter boats are amazing for private use, but if you decide to participate at a regatta, you must have sandbag on your boat to make it heavier. If you ever face a problem like that, just send us an email. We’re happy to help you with that.
Besides that, some boats don’t even fulfil the size requirements by FISA. We call these boats:
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