Tales from World Rowing’s masters regatta

The conditions over the four days of racing ranged from hot, calm weather on day one to cool and calm conditions on day two, while day three served up challenging strong head-cross winds and rain. The final day was again warm and calm.

The large number of races meant that each race started at just three-minute intervals on the 1,000m regatta course. On top of this, at any one time, there were up to four races on the course. This proved challenging especially on the third day in rough conditions and with competitors ranging from Olympic Champions like Perti Karpinnen, through to near beginners, umpires were staying very busy to keep the regatta flowing.

As the race format includes only heats, medals were presented to the winner of each heat. In this atmosphere of rowing enormity, a medal giving ceremony was held every three minutes in front of a ready and appreciative crowd in the grandstand area.

Despite the range of racing talents a number of races ended in tight photo finishes. One race was won by a tiny 8/1000th of a second. The ongoing friendly, but competitive, rivalry between Dresdner Ruder Club (Germany) and Dynamo Moscow (Russia) has seen one or the other crew winning in different years. This year the photo finish win will be celebrated in print as the picture was copied to be framed by each club and displayed proudly in their boathouses.

A big chunk of the 1,600 boats in the boat park came from German clubs. German rowers were seated in 857 boats making up over 2,600 seats at the regatta. Great Britain had huge participation with 363 boats making up 1,006 seats. Italy, the United States and Denmark also made up huge numbers.

“The highlight was observing the great spirit of co-operation between all the crews as they worked with the cramped conditions of the boating area and the boat storage area,” described FISA masters commission chair, Peter Morrison. “The sport of rowing does engender strong integrity and support amongst and between its participants, if anyone needed help then it was always willingly given. The very old crews were cheered to the line every time they raced.”

One highlight was the Octogenarian Active Rowers (OARS) ceremony. Competitors 80 years old or over were presented with medals by Morrison for their first year of participation at this age. For every subsequent year they receive a gold pin. Morrison revealed that not all of those to be honoured made it to the ceremony. “Two double sculls in this age category which overturned in the stormy start area almost missed the ceremony, with a member of one of them declaring that he had “been quite discombobulated” by the soaking, and being thereafter slow to remember what time it was.”

Those presented with an OARS medal this year included Mrs Gostynska of Poland, Mr Sholl of the United States, Mr Howell of Australia, Mr Inuki of Japan, Mr Wills of Great Britain, Mr Hlavacek of the Czech Republic and Mr Martins of Brazil.

The oldest participant, as has been the case in recent years, was Dr Charles Eugster of Switzerland who at 91 years rowed in three races. On the women’s side, Nelly Brandsma, 84, of Swan River Rowing Club in Australia raced in two races.

Competitors were randomly checked by officials for ages and one or two light-looking coxswains had their weight checked. Morrison says a very tight rein was kept on correct average ages of team boats.

Off the water, competitors enjoyed the Masters Party, hosted by the Mayor of Vienna in the Town Hall. The ballroom was filled by some 500 rowers and their partners who danced well into the night.