Five Rotarians from Mainz, all members of our Fellowship, joined forces and the result was a new boat for the Mainz rowing club: A gig double three with coxswain (convertible to a double four) from the Schellenbacher boatyard in Linz. It is to be named ‘Fellowship’. A ‘Rotary’ boat already exists: a double four with helmsman, convertible to a double five.

IFoRR has covered the cost of a tent to provide protection for the rowers from Mainz when they take part in a regatta. It can be erected - no, inflated - in just a few minutes.

A FISA referee from Ukraine, Viktoriia Maydachevska, had the idea. In order to maintain the emergency operation of rowing, she asked the DR whether German rowing clubs could provide decommissioned boat material or ergometers for Ukraine. The DRV published this request and in the end a trailer with 11 boats stood at the gates of the rowing club Amicitia in Mannheim. But material is not everything. Transport also has to be financed. The lacking amount was given by the International Fellowship of Rowing Rotarians (IfoRR) from the donations of the Rotary Venø donation tour organised last year The proceeds of which were also supposed to go to rowing in Ukraine. We were a bit sceptical about the timing. But the Ukrainians convinced us of the importance and significance of sport in a country affected by war.

We row 2130 km from the North Sea to the Bavarian Alps. Sponsors donate for every kilometer rowed. With the donations we support projects of rowing clubs for the integration of young refugees from Ukraine or other crisis areas.