Masters Set for Montreal

The biggest ever FISA World Rowing Masters Regatta is set to start in Montreal, Canada, tomorrow (Thursday) with rowers filling 7587 seats in boats from 35 countries.

To accommodate all the numbers, races per day will peak at 212 on Saturday, smashing the old record of 170.

The Organising Committee said the number of registrations received far exceeded their objective of 5000 seats with the facilities at the 1976 Olympic course filled to capacity for the event.

Rowers can participate in the masters from the age of 27 but there is not top age limit. The oldest person competing is a 92-year-old woman registered for three events while the oldest man is 91.

Every boat class and age grade is raced over the same distance – 1000 metres.

Just over half of the rowers competing come from the United States but athletes from Europe, Canada, Asia, the South Pacific and South America make up the rest.

The Masters Regatta is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

The Opening Ceremony will include special rowing events in honour of the Olympians who took part. More than 60 rowers competing at the Masters this year are former Olympians.

Worldrowing.com will bring you news from the regatta until its conclusion on September 2.