Le Mans Sarthe Aviron, founded in 1894: rowing on the Sarthe, or indoors with music

A club born in 1894

In September, we went to the boathouse on avenue François-Chancel, on the banks of the Sarthe. We were welcomed by the club's co-president, as the presidency is shared, and by the work-study student who handles promotion and social media.

Le Mans Sarthe Aviron was founded in 1894: it is one of the oldest rowing clubs in France. It has about 130 members, from recreational to competitive, and some rowers go as far as the national and international levels. The club also hosts middle school classes.

AVIFIT: rowing without the water

This is the season's new offering. AVIFIT is a group indoor session on an ergometer, set to music. It's not a fitness class like the ones you find at a gym: the programs are designed by the French Rowing Federation (FFAviron), reserved for affiliated clubs, and the coach must hold the federal indoor instructor certificate. Depending on the session, you work on muscle strengthening, cardio, or both. An example session they described to us: 5 minutes of warm-up, 35 minutes of intense effort, 5 minutes of recovery.

The room has seventeen ergometers. Two sessions are scheduled each week, one of them open to the general public. You don't need to know how to row to get started.

Getting in a boat for the first time

To try rowing on the water, the club offers introductory sessions: a welcome and tour of the boathouse, an explanation of the stroke and the boats on land, then launching in a very stable boat, with an instructor. For adults, the outing lasts about 1 hr 30 min; for young people, ages 11 and up, the introduction lasts three hours. You must be able to swim. Dates and conditions are on the club's website.

Rowing for companies

Another offering: days for company teams. In the morning, a meeting room; in the afternoon, a rowing session; then challenges and a medal ceremony. The club's idea: rowing is a team sport, built on cohesion, listening, and keeping the rhythm, to “go far and fast together.”

This club is really worth a visit: share this article with someone who wants to try rowing.

Getting there

• Boathouse: 180 bis avenue François-Chancel, Le Mans. Phone: 02 43 47 30 99.
• AVIFIT (general public): Thursdays from 7 to 7:45 PM, by the year or with a session pass.
• Categories: U15 youth (ages 11 to 14), U17 and U19 juniors (ages 15 to 18), seniors (ages 19 to 26), masters (ages 27 and up), and adult recreational rowing. Registration by the year, prices on the club's website.
• Try it: adult or youth introduction, reservations on the “Découvrir l'aviron” page of the club's website.
• The Le Mans Sarthe Aviron page on Sortir au Mans