Stong performances abound at 2025 Vesta International Masters Head

240 open, women’s and mixed eights and quads competed over the Championship course for 23 pennants on Sunday, 23 March

The calm conditions on race day were in contrast to the feeling amongst some crews and their club entries secretaries who had to make last minute substitutions due to athletes’ travel plans having been disrupted by the closure of Heathrow Airport two days earlier.

Thames RC won MasAB Eights as both the fastest open crew of the day and the fastest open crew by adjusted time. Henley RC provide the fastest open quad, winning the MasB event.

Having won two of the three Masters pennants at the Head of the River Race the day before, Upper Thames RC showed their strength in depth in masters women’s and mixed crews as well. Going off at No.1, thanks to the race’s policy of placing women’s crews ahead of the open entries in the start order – widely welcomed by female competitors – the club’s Women’s MasA crew was the fastest female crew of the day, although pipped on handicap to the WMasAB Eights pennant by Nottingham RC/Club de Rem Olympic Barcelona (ES).

Upper Thames also won both the Mixed MasABC (finishing 15th overall, this was also the fastest mixed crew) and MasCDE Eights pennants (with the fastest mixed crew by adjusted time), and the Women’s MasEFGH Sculls. The club was also involved in two composite wins in Open and Women’s MasD Eights, of which the latter was also the fastest women’s crew on adjusted time.

Ferencvárosi Evezos Club, Hungary/Strathclyde Park RC/Bedford RC/Upper Thames RC/Walton RC/University of Bristol BC, winners of WMasD. Photo: Ben Rodford Photography.

Sadly, there was a serious medical incident during the race, which led to a pause in crews starting. Once the start resumed, there was insufficient time left for all crews to complete the race safely before the end of the river closure, and the race had to be abandoned.

Pennant winners

Event	Club	Elapsed Time
W.MasAB.8+	Nottingham RC/Club de Rem Olympic Barcelona (ES)	20:30.74
W.MasC.8+	Worcester RC	21:18.57
W.MasD.8+	Ferencvárosi Evezos Club, Hungary/Strathclyde Park RC/Bedford RC/Upper Thames RC/Walton RC/University of Bristol BC	20:47.07
W.MasE.8+	Cork Boat Club, Ireland/Tralee RC, Ireland	22:21.18
W.MasFG.8+	Wallingford RC	22:05.71
MasAB.8+	Thames RC	18:15.49
MasC.8+	Crabtree Boat Club	19:01.64
MasD.8+	Upper Thames RC/Mercantile RC, AUS/Hannoverscher Ruder-Club v. 1880 e.V. Germany/No club/London RC	18:57.89
MasE.8+	Molesey Boat Club	19:39.87
MasF.8+	Galway RC, Ireland/Belfast BC/Shannon RC, Ireland/Neptune RC, Ireland/Commercial RC, Ireland/Cork BC, Ireland	19:55.76
MasGH.8+	Bedford RC/Star Club	20:46.99
Mx.MasABC.8+	Upper Thames RC	19:46.56
Mx.MasDEF.8+	Upper Thames RC	21:28.71
W.MasABC.4x-	Walton RC	21:58.60
W.MasD.4x-	Auriol Kensington RC	22:41.45
W.MasEFGH.4x-	Upper Thames RC	21:56.54
MasB.4x-	Henley RC	19:56.90
MasC.4x-	Star Club/Hollingworth Lake RC/Nottingham RC/Peterborough City RC	20:08.15
MasD.4x-	Lagan Scullers’ Club, Ireland	20:10.53
MasE.4x-	Durham Amateur RC/Tyne Amateur RC/Hexham RC	21:16.28
Novice.8+	Norwich RC	22:04.60
W.Novice.8+	Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club/Worcester RC	23:59.61
W.Novice.4x-	Reading RC	24:14.76

Full results

The British Rowing Masters Championships will take place in Nottingham on 14-15 June 2025.

Photos: Ben Rodford Photography