# 1951 European Rowing Championships

The 1951 European Rowing Championships were rowing championships held on the Mâcon regatta course on the Saône in Mâcon, France. Men competed in all seven Olympic boat classes (M1x, M2x, M2-, M2+, M4-, M4+, M8+). The regatta is notable as the first test event for international women's rowing organised by the International Rowing Federation (FISA), with four countries competing in four boat classes (W1x, W2x, W4+, W8+) over the shorter race distance of 1,000 m (men competed over 2,000 m). The purpose of the test event was to see whether women's rowing should formally become part of the FISA-organised European Rowing Championships.

## Women's test event

The French rowing association (Fédération Française de Sociétés d’Aviron) organised the test event. Four countries sent teams; France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The four boat classes competed in were the single scull (W1x), double scull (W2x), coxed four (W4+), and eight (W8+). There were three boats nominated for the double scull, but all countries had boats compete in the other boat classes. Great Britain came third in all four races.
The women would have their second test event in Amsterdam in 1952. There were no European Rowing Championships that year as the Olympic Games were held in Helsinki, and whenever the Olympic Games were held in Europe the European Rowing Championships would be skipped. The same four countries competed in Amsterdam in the same four boat classes.

## Medal summary – men's events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| Event | Country & rowers | Time | Country & rowers | Time | Country & rowers | Time |
| M1x | Denmark Erik Larsen | | Great Britain Tony Fox | | Switzerland Paul Meyer | |
| M2x | Switzerland Peter Stebler Émile Knecht | | Italy Silvio Bergamini Antonio Balossi | | Sweden Tore Johansson Curt Brunnqvist | |
| M2- | Belgium Michel Knuysen Bob Baetens | | Denmark Bent Jensen Palle Tillisch | | Switzerland Hans Kalt Kurt Schmid | |
| M2+ | Italy Giuseppe Ramani Aldo Tarlao Luciano Marion (cox) | | Switzerland Alex Siebenhaar Walter Lüchinger Walter Ludin (cox) | | Denmark Frederik Mönster Knud Bröchner-Nielsen Reimer Pagh (cox) | |
| M4- | Belgium Charles Van Antwerpen Jos Rosa Harry Elzendoorn Florent Caers | | Denmark Eivin Kristensen Carl Nielsen Harry Nielsen Paul Locht | | France Pierre Blondiaux Jean-Jacques Guissart Gérald Maquat Jean-Pierre Souche | |
| M4+ | Italy Reginaldo Polloni Francesco Gotti Angelo Ghidini Guido Cristinelli Domenico Cambieri (cox) | | Switzerland Rico Bianchi Karl Weidmann Émile Ess Heini Scheller Walter Ludin (cox) | | Spain Miguel Palau Salvador Costa Joaquin Cortada Perez Pedro Massana Luis Omedes (cox) | |
| M8+ | Great Britain David Jennens James Crowden William Windham J. R. Dingle John Jones Nicholas Clack David Macklin Harry Almond John Hinde (cox) | | Denmark Per Lauridsen Aksel Möller Schiolts Mogens Snogdahl Björn Brönnum Leif Hermansen Ole Scavenius Jensen Helge Muxoll Schrøder Jørn Snogdahl John Vilhelmsen (cox) | | Netherlands G. Ockeloen H. A. Roell R. J. Sielcken H. E. ten Broeke Jan op den Velde J. L. Klei Cate A. ten Bruggen H. Marcus P. F. W. Dekker (cox) | |