The majority of them have never been in a coastal rowing boat, but that hasn?t dissuaded an adventurous band of locals from entering the inaugural World Coastal Rowing Championships in Guernsey this weekend.

Nicola and Lawrence Bird, former Oxford university rower Tom Linford, Nicola Wilkinson and Caroline Gledhill make up the five-person team who will brave the waters off the smallest of the Channel Islands in singles and pairs races of up to 12 kilometres against nations from as far afield as Dubai and New Zealand.

While Bermuda already has a rowing association which was established three years ago, the smaller nature of the boats used means that it is often difficult to get out on the water in winds of over ten knots.

However, coastal rowing boats are much bigger and therefore capable of withstanding choppy seas and high winds ? something which made Lawrence Bird look towards establishing a separate association.

?I was actually involved in coastal rowing when I living in Guernsey and it occurred to me that it would also make sense in a place like Bermuda,? he explained.

?I was actually planning the trip to Guernsey in order to go boat shopping during the World Championships, because we do not have any coastal rowing boats in Bermuda at the moment. But rather than sit on a sea wall and watch, a few of us decided we might as well take part!

?It?s a bit of a shot in the dark ? we?ve got no idea really how we?re going to do. Some of us have been training pretty hard for it, which has involved being on the water at about 6.30 in the morning and rowing non-stop for an hour and a half and then getting in the gym after that.

?We should do alright really ? but the most important thing is to acquire some boats so we can train properly and perhaps start looking to grow the sport locally.?