SCHINIAS, Greece, 7 August 2003 — High winds sweeping over the Olympic rowing center yesterday sank four boats competing in the Juniors World Rowing Championships, the first in a series of test events for the Athens 2004 Olympics.
“These were the worst possible weather conditions for a competition,” Vassilis Likomitros, in charge of rowing for the Athens Olympics Organizing Committee (ATHOC), told AFP.
However, Likomitros said he was “not worried” about the Olympic competitions in August 2004, even if they had to take place under similar conditions. The Olympics event can be delayed to make time for the winds to abate as they will be stretched over eight hours, compared with the current event’s four, Likomitros explained.
The 2004 event could even cope with an eventual cancellation of as much as two full days of competition, added Likomitros.
In order to avoid the high winds expected, organizers had put forward the event’s start by two hours to 06:20 in the morning. The wind blew five meters per second in the early morning hours, but reached 11 meters per second during the last races four hours later.
As a result, the Japanese and Austrian four-man-crews with helmsman as well as the eight-man boat with helmsman of the United States and Britain went under water.
“The rescue system was ready to support the crews and there was no damage to the boats,” Likomitros said. The crews will take part in the repechages, according to the rulebook of the International Rowing Federation (FISA).
Bursts of a high northern wind, called in Greek ‘meltemia’, regularly sweep across the country in August, upsetting sea travel. Eventual meltemia in the area will not put any competitor into a disadvantage as it blows in the direction of the track, Likomitros said.
FISA and ATHOC had considered planting trees along the rowing track to block winds. But the plan was dropped as the trees would shield just those teams rowing immediately behind them, while creating perturbations for all the others.
