Record entries at World masters regatta

Competitors race for their clubs with 633 clubs from 454 cities covering 40 nations making for global participation. Italy is sending the biggest contingent of rowers with 731 entered. Germany follows with 657 and Great Britain has 474 rowers. There is also a large number from the United States and Brazil. Of the clubs the Dynamo Moscow Rowing Club has the biggest number of competitors with 98 athletes making the trip from Russia.

Many of these rowers will race in more than one event – in everything from singles to eights and also mixed events – and the number of registered seats is currently at 10,221.

Competitors race in their age group starting with the ‘A’ category for those 27 – 35 years old. The most number of entries is in the ‘D’ category (over 50) for the men’s single sculls with 146 scullers. This is a change from last year when the ‘E’ men’s single had the largest number of entries.

The average age at the regatta is 52 and the oldest entry is 94-year-old Charles Eugster of Switzerland.  Eugster is a regular competitor and also known as an indoor rowing record holder as well as a well-known advocate for healthy living through keeping fit. The oldest category is ‘K’ for 85 years and over with Eugster competing in this class. The oldest woman is Rosa Pie, 82, of Spain.

There are 500 volunteers ready to make the regatta run smoothly.  Many of them are local high school students. To get through the volume of races a new race will start every three minutes with competitors racing over 1,000m. There will be no finals so the winner of each race will receive a medal.|

The regatta runs from 5 – 8 September 2013 on Lake Varese and World Rowing will be featuring reports and photos from the regatta.

For more information: http://www.wrmr2013.com/