October camp now 50% full · February places available
A sculling camp in Portugal with double Olympic champion Alex Gregory
Five days on the water where Olympic crews train, for anyone who loves the feel of a boat running well.
Two camps in 2027 on the reservoir at Avis. Everyone in a single, a coach alongside you every session, and the whole camp built around one thing: making a real, lasting change to how you row.
See dates and book Not ready to book? Ask about a place
You need to be comfortable on your own in a single. You don't need to be fast.
Dates
13 - 18 February 2027 (Saturday to Thursday)
18 - 23 October 2027 (Monday to Saturday) 50% full
Length
Five days of sculling, five nightsYou scull on the afternoon you arrive and leave at 9am on the last morning.
Boats
Single racing sculls only - all equipment supplied
Price
£3,499 per rower sharing
£3,999 per rower in a single roomCoaching, boat, room, all meals and Lisbon transfers included. A 50% deposit (from £1,750) holds your place, with the balance due eight weeks before the camp.
Places
Maximum 20 rowers per camp
What the week is about
The coaching most of us never get
Many of us scull for years without really changing anything. Usually it's because no one is watching closely enough, for long enough, to tell us which part of the stroke is costing us. That is what this week is for.
- Every water session in a single. A boat and a set of blades are yours for the week.
- Direct coaching, every session. Coaches always alongside you, so nothing gets missed.
- Video analysis of your own stroke throughout the camp, with debriefs to turn what you see into what you do.
- A carefully programmed schedule, with two to three sessions a day - enough to make changes stick, paced so you're tired in the right way.
- Evenings on the performance side of the sport with Alex and the team: nerves, pacing, race preparation, how to train, physiology.
You will leave with a clear picture of your own stroke, changes that hold when you're under pressure, and a confidence in what you're doing and where you're heading that you may never have had before.
Who coaches you
Alex Gregory and his hand-picked team
Alex Gregory MBE is a double Olympic champion, with gold in the men's four at London 2012 and Rio 2016 and five world titles in sweep boats. He started out as a sculler, though, and he's convinced that rowers who truly understand the sculling stroke row sweep at a far higher level. Sweep rowers are very welcome - you'll scull all week and your sweep rowing will be better for it.
He knows this water well, having spent a good part of his own career training here with the British team. Alex is on the water every day and will work with every rower across the week. Alongside him is his hand-picked team, so in every session you have a coach beside you and eyes on your stroke.
The mental side
Working on the head as well as the stroke
Alex puts the mental side at the heart of this week. Much of what made the difference in his own racing happened between the ears, and in the evenings he'll share how he learned to stay composed when it hurts, trust his preparation and back himself on the start line.
It's just as useful if you never race. The same work helps you get more from every outing at home, stay steady when a session goes badly, and hold on to the changes you make here long after you've flown home.
Beyond the camp
Working with Alex one to one
Alongside the camps, Alex works one to one as a mindset and performance coach. On the water that means technique, programming and video analysis; off it, it's the thinking that sits underneath all of that - pressure, consistency, racing well, and what to do with yourself when training stops going to plan.
A few people each year carry on working with him after the camp, and it's a natural next step if the week leaves you wanting more. If that's something you'd like to talk about, just ask.
How the days go
A week you can pace
- EarlyOn the water first thing, then breakfast.
- Late morningBack out for technical work.
- In betweenVideo, debriefs and mindset coaching.
- Late afternoonOn three-session days, a final outing to put it all together.
- EveningDinner, then a session with the coaching team.
Every session is designed so you can pace the camp and progress properly.
Where you stay
Herdade da Cortesia, Avis
Comfortable rooms, a pool, gym and stretching studio and the same chefs who feed national squads. Being fed well matters when you're rowing up to three times a day.
We know the place well. Mind Body Row has been bringing rowers here twice a year since 2023, and some of our guests are coming back for a fourth year in 2027. Our June 2027 retreat has already sold out.
What's included
Included
- CoachingEvery water session with the coaching team, plus video analysis throughout the camp.
- EquipmentA single and blades assigned to you for the week.
- Full boardYour room and all meals at Herdade da Cortesia.
- TransfersGroup return road transfer from Lisbon airport, about two hours each way. It leaves the airport at 11am on the first day and the hotel at 9am on the last day. Some people like to arrive a day or more early to explore Lisbon or to avoid any travel disruption.
- EveningsPerformance and mindset sessions with Alex and the team.
Flights and drinks are not included. Everything else is.
Before you book
Five things worth knowing
Who it's for
Anyone who loves sculling and wants to make real progress, whether you row with a club or on your own, race regularly or simply want to row better. Sweep rowers who'd like to get to grips with sculling are just as welcome and the week will help your sweep rowing too.
Coming on your own
You don't need to bring anyone. Book a single room and you're part of the group from the first outing - there are never more than twenty rowers on a camp.
You need to be happy on your own in a single
Comfortable sculling unaccompanied on open water, able to swim and able to get back in or to the side after a capsize. If you can do that, whatever your speed, you'll get a huge amount from this week. If you're not sure, ask us and we'll talk it through honestly.
It's rowing weather, not always pool weather
Early sessions can be chilly and it can sometimes rain. Bring proper winter rowing kit - layers, a waterproof, warm hat - and expect sessions to go ahead in most conditions.
Non-rowing guests
Partners and friends are very welcome to stay, but please know what you're bringing them to: this is a rowing week. There's no guest programme, the rowers are out two or three times a day and it may not be weather for lying by the pool. If someone would still enjoy a quiet week in a beautiful place, drop us a line and we'll sort a guest price with you directly.
Booking
Taking a place
The October camp is already 50% full and places go in booking order. A 50% deposit holds your place, with the balance due eight weeks before the camp - 19 December 2026 for February, 23 August 2027 for October. Or pay in full if you'd rather.
Shared rooms are for two people booking together - we don't pair rowers up. If you're coming on your own, choose a single room.
13 - 18 February 2027
Places available
Book two rowers sharing£3,499 each - or hold both places with £3,499 today Book a single room£3,999 - or hold your place with £1,999.50 todayPlans change. If you can't make it, your place can be passed to another rower at no cost, up to a week before the camp. The full cancellation terms are further down.
Not ready to book yet?
Tell us which camp you have in mind and we'll come back to you personally - about your level, the travel or anything else. There's no obligation.
Not this year? Stay in touch
Get One Thought · One Stroke · One Quote, Alex's short email with an idea on mindset, a tip for your sculling and a quote worth keeping. You'll also be first to hear about future camps.
The small print
Cancellation policy
We understand that plans can change, and we aim to be as fair and transparent as possible.
- 56 days or more before the camp - we refund everything you have paid, apart from 20% of the total cost, which covers the planning and preparation already committed.
- 30 to 55 days before the camp - 50% refund of your total booking amount.
- Less than 30 days before the camp - due to the proximity of the event and commitments already made, we're unable to offer a refund at this stage.
Passing your place on. If you can't come, you're welcome to pass your place to another rower at no cost, up to a week before the camp. Just let us know.
Travel insurance. We strongly recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you book. Things very occasionally happen that are outside anyone's control - illness, injury, delayed or cancelled flights, or last-minute changes to your plans. Good cover means you're protected if you're unable to travel or need to cut your trip short. Please make sure your policy covers cancellation, medical expenses and the activities you'll take part in during the camp.
These terms and any matters arising from them are governed by the law of England and Wales and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Mind Body Row Experience
Fancy a slower week on the water?
The Mind Body Row Experience is our five-day retreat at the same estate in Avis. One row a day in coastal boats, yoga, fireside talks, wine tasting and fado - and time to properly switch off.
Rowers of every level come along, from complete beginners to people who've rowed all their lives, and plenty come back year after year.
June 2027 has sold out. There are still places for September 2027.
Explore the Experience