World Rowing Coastal Championships (WRCC)
Taking home the gold
In October, Identity managed the World Rowing Coastal Championships in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The occasion united two forms of rowing and brought together top rowers from all over the world. The first event happened over two concurrent weekends with the first being over the 8th and 9th, and the second on the 15th and 16th. The first weekend saw the coastal club rowers compete in a 4km and 6km course along the picturesque coastline of Saundersfoot and the second weekend introduced an all-new form of rowing: the beach sprints. Rumoured to be a future Olympic rowing discipline, elite international rowers competed in these sprints close to the spectators, making for a lively and intimate atmosphere.
The World Coastal Rowing Championships will now forever exist as a landmark in Welsh history. This was only the third Championship race to date, and it was the first major event held at the Wales International Coastal Centre. With the stakes so high, Identity strived to harness our flawless experience in event execution to facilitate the occasion.
Identity faced the challenge of designing the footprint for the event in characteristically unpredictable weather. Working in close collaboration with British Rowing we provided the robust temporary infrastructure that would accommodate VIP areas, lounges and commentator cabins for two weeks. Working in a compact space proved difficult as we navigated the sport-specific requirements. It was essential to accommodate for boat weighing, storage, traffic to and from the water, as well as the general public.
Establishing communication channels was crucial to the running of the event. We worked closely with British Rowing to ensure that all routes were reliable and there was effective communication between sea and land.
Perhaps the most challenging obstacle was building the event on an exposed beach where we had to compete with gale-force winds and the ever-changing tide. We designed the structures to be mobile so they could easily move up and down the beach to escape the water, without getting stuck in the sand.
Sustainability is core to our values and this occasion was no exception. Identity worked closely with British Rowing to achieve ISO 20121 for the World Coastal Rowing Championships, marking the event as the first of its kind to achieve the coveted certification on sustainability. Achieving the accreditation for such a new event in sporting history was amazing and we were proud to be part of setting this standard.
We sourced the majority of our infrastructure and staffing from the South Wales area, ensuring the benefit of the event stays within the region.
It was a real honour to be involved in such a landmark event, to be a part of the story and the creation of a wonderful experience. This event will not only be remembered by the rowers competing, but it will live in the hearts of the local community who saw their home honoured in this way. The event was a resounding success and a real celebration of human brilliance. The fortnight ended with Team GB winning gold in the coastal men’s quadruple sculls, a moment that will surely be recounted again and again, over cups of tea in the village of Saundersfoot.
The success of the event is reflected in the feedback we received from Rachel Dulai, Race director for World Rowing Coastal Championships, below:
“Identity was loved by everyone on site without exception. They were such a safe pair of hands, all pre-event detail was meticulously thought through so the on-site delivery was a breeze. The enthusiasm that they entered into the spirit of the event was infectious and everything was done efficiently, ingeniously and with smiles at all times. We would contract them again without a moment’s hesitation.”