Good news for the Masters community: From 2020, Regatta Munich will host the Euro Masters Regatta every year at the Olympic regatta course in Munich. This will give all rowers aged 27 and older the chance to check their performance levels before the World Rowing Masters Regatta. In 2020, the Euro Masters will take place in Munich from July 17 to 19, followed by the World Rowing Masters Regatta in Linz from September, 2 to 6.

“The popularity of the Euro Masters Regatta is growing steadily. Of course, we are happy about the increasing demand and respond the Masters rowers’ request to compete regularly on the Olympic regatta course,” says Oliver Bettzieche, President of Regatta München e.V. “To us, it is important to not only offer a high-quality competition from an athlete’s perspective with fair conditions, but also to create a great atmosphere and a relaxed mood. It’s the mix that makes the difference.”

Originally, the Euro Masters Regatta took place every four years when the World Rowing Masters Regatta was held outside Europe. Munich was a centrally located alternative for Masters rowers who cannot or do not want to travel far. With the new annual rotation, Regatta München complements the Masters regatta season and offers a location determination before the most important Masters event of the year.

Good news for all rowers on their way to Velence for the World Rowing Masters Regatta: Regatta Munich offers you an exclusive package during the event in Hungary with which you can save money for the 2020 Euro Masters Regatta in Munich.

How does it work?

Come and visit us at the Regatta Munich booth in the exhibitor area of the World Masters!

We have put together packages for you with 5, 10, 20 or 50 seats. With the official start of the early bird phase you will get an additional discount with “Early Max”. 5 seats are available for 110 Euro (instead of 120 Euro early bird fee respectively 130 Euro standard entry fee), 10 for 220 Euro (instead of 240 Euro resp. 260 Euro), 20 for 440 Euro (instead of 480 Euro resp. 520 Euro) and 50 for 1,100 Euro (instead of 1,200 Euro resp. 1,300 Euro). We also have a cool gift for all early birds!

The Early Max offer is only valid from 11 to 15 September 2019 and can only be purchased during the event in Velence. If you are not able to come to Velence, please send us an email to info@regatta.de. The prerequisite is that your payment for the selected package is received by Regatta Munich by September 21, 2019 and that the person who buys the package will enter the boats by midnight on June 24, 2020.

We are happy to explain further details at our booth. Stop by and see us – for a cup of coffee, a chat, our early bird bargain and a few more surprises!

Two winning bids for FISA events

Regatta München has been awarded two major rowing events: During its annual ordinary congress, the World Rowing Federation FISA (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron) announced that the Olympic Regatta Course in Munich will be the venue for the European Rowing Junior Championships in 2021 and for the World Rowing Cup II in 2024.

Thus, two out of the four applications the Munich regatta association compiled in honorary work and submitted via the German Rowing Association DRV succeeded in the bidding process. For the European Rowing Junior Championships 2021, Munich prevailed against the French Brive and Sabaudia in Italy. For the World Rowing Cup II 2024, Zagreb was defeated by the Munich application. A total of 21 national rowing federations with 31 regatta courses worldwide had put themselves forward to host 11 FISA regattas scheduled between 2021 and 2024. Among the other German applicants for FISA events, Duisburg was selected for the European Rowing U23 Championships and Brandenburg was considered for the World Rowing Master Regatta 2024.

“We are delighted that our application for the European Rowing Junior Championships 2021 and the World Cup II 2024 has been accepted,” says Oliver Bettzieche, President of Regatta München. “We put blood, sweat and tears into the applications to bring Munich back on the map of FISA regatta venues. In addition to national and international regattas, such an exceptional Olympic regatta course simply needs to host top-class elite sporting events. By awarding the events to Munich, FISA acknowledges that our regatta venue and our team has the potential again to host world-class rowing events.”

Nevertheless, a light disappointment remains: Regatta München had also applied for the World Rowing Masters Regatta 2022 and the World Cup II in 2023. Here Libourne (France) and Varese (Italy) prevailed. “We would have loved to host even more top-class FISA events until 2024”, Oliver Bettzieche said. “We see the FISA decision as a stimulus to continue our commitment. In cooperation with local politics and economy, we have to develop concepts to make the Olympic regatta course attractive while complying with landmark protection so we can put ourselves forward for further tasks in the future. For now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and focus on the events in 2021 and 2024.”

Regatta München e.V. has big plans: Together with the state capital Munich, the Regatta Association of the Munich metropolitan region intends to bring four major rowing events to the Olympic regatta course in Munich-Oberschleissheim between 2021 to 2024, thus renewing Munich’s claim as an internationally recognised regatta location. And Regatta München has completed and submitted the necessary prep work: The event bidding deadline set by FISA (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron) expired on 15 April. Today, the world rowing federation announced which applicants will be considered for the further application phase. Munich holds out hope of hosting the European Rowing Junior Championships 2021, the World Rowing Masters Regatta 2022 and the World Rowing Cup (WRC) Series 2023 and 2024.

“The last World Rowing Event Munich hosted was the World Rowing Cup 2012. With our applications, we are signaling how serious we are about the regatta operations at the Olympic Regatta Course. As much as we enjoyed organising the previous regattas: International elite events attended by top-class rowers are what’s called for on a regular basis at the course,” says Oliver Bettzieche, CEO of Regatta München e.V. “Almost 50 years after the 1972 Olympic Games, it’s time to be bold again and to strive for more more. Despite its age, the course is definitely still up for the task. Both FISA and the international rowing community appreciate the fair conditions on the course. If we were successful with our applications, this should be the necessary impulse for the state capital Munich to push ahead with and successfully complete the renovation project in compliance with monument protection.”

The four applications Regatta München has compiled in honorary capacity and submitted via the German Rowing Association Deutscher Ruderverband (DRV), are subject to tough international competition. A total of 21 national rowing associations put 31 regatta courses around the globe forward for the eleven FISA regattas scheduled between 2021 and 2024. In addition to Munich, DRV has also fielded Brandenburg, Duisburg, Hamburg and Krefeld. While the German applications are complementary, Munich competes with other locations for each event.

Für die European Rowing Junior Championships 2021 interessieren sich neben München das französische Brive und Sabaudia in Italien. Die World Rowing Masters Regatta 2022 hätten auch gern die Schweden in Hjelmsjö, die Franzosen in Libourne, die Italiener in Varese oder die Südafrikaner in Pretoria zu Gast. Bei der dreiteiligen WRC-Serie läuft die Münchener Bewerbung jeweils für die zweite und dritte Regatta in 2023 und 2024. Mitbewerber um den WRC 2 sind Plovdiv in Bulgarien, Varese und das kroatische Zagreb im Jahr 2023; 2024 gibt es einen Zweikampf mit Zagreb.

Besides Munich, Brive (France) and Sabaudia (Italy) are interested in the European Rowing Junior Championships 2021. The World Rowing Masters Regatta 2022 could also go to Hjelmsjö (Sweden), Libourne (France), Varese (Italy) or Pretoria (South Africa). In the three-part WRC series, the Munich application is aimed at the second or third regatta in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Competitors for WRC 2 in 2023 are Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Varese and Zagreb (Croatia); in 2024, it’s a duel with Zagreb. Linz-Ottensheim, Lucerne and Plovdiv will compete for WRC 3 in 2023. In 2024, Munich will be in direct competition with Lucerne.

All applicants now have time until June 30, 2019 to complete their bidding documents in consultation with FISA’s event team. Securing sufficient funding will be crucial: “With the help of dedicated volunteers, Regatta Munich has the ideas, the know-how and the motivation to organize professional regattas with high standards. However, as a non-profit association, what we do not have is the corresponding budget,” says Oliver Bettzieche. “A sport such as rowing depends on sponsorship money and support from public budgets. This will be a huge challenge.”

Final decisions which event will go to which location will be announced in September 2019. FISA created the complex procedure for awarding events in 2017 to enable long-term strategic planning for regatta organisers.