Masters of the World Arrive in Hamburg

Thomas Lange back on the international scene
© FISA

Former Olympic medallists mingle with first time competitors. Grandparents compare rowing feats with grandchildren. Teams reunite in a tradition that, for some, stretches back decades. Some arrive having trained close to the level of an elite athlete. Others will have barely set foot in a boat. 

Hamburg, in Northern Germany, will welcome over 3,000 rowers from 39 nations to its city for the 31st World Rowing Masters Regatta. Everyone will be 27 years of age or older and ready for 1,000 metres of racing action.

Rowers may be surprised to look across at the start line and see two-time Olympic gold medallist Thomas Lange of Germany sitting in the next lane. Lange is racing in the men’s ‘B’ double with fellow Ratzeburger Ruderclub member Jens Burow.

They may also spot Italy’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Davide Tizzano reuniting with fellow gold team mate from the 1988 Seoul Olympics quad, Gianluca Farina, to race in the men’s ‘B’ quad. Tizzano also won gold in the double at Atlanta in 1996.

Competitors might possibly notice 85 year old Charles Engsten of Switzerland preparing to race the ‘H’ double against regular competitor, 84 year old David Challinor of the United States. Or they may see Nelly Brandsma racing for the United States masters international women’s ‘E-H’ eight. At 79 years of age Brandsma is the oldest female competitor and at least nine years older than any of her fellow crew mates.

Most participants choose to put their energy in to more than one event. This adds up to over 1,000 races over the four regatta days and tops out the number of bums on seats to nearly 8,000.

The largest number of entries is in the men’s ‘C’ single – minimum age of 43 years – with 122 boats starting. Each race is treated like a final with medals for first place awarded after every race.

Germany heads the number of entries by a substantial margin of 402 clubs leaving Great Britain as the second biggest contingent.

Racing starts on Thursday 2 September at 4.15pm. It continues on Friday 3rd with 11 hours of racing and repeats this format on Saturday 4 September. The regatta finishes on Sunday 5th with mixed crews entered in four hours of racing.

“It’s a very intense racing programme,” says chairman of FISA’s Masters Commission Peter Morrison who will be overseeing a tight schedule of three minute intervals between races.

The rowing venue is situated on the Alster Lake. Considered to be the birthplace of rowing on the European mainland, the Allegmeiner Alster Club is the host and one of 20 rowing clubs in the region.

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