Record entry for 2024 British Rowing Masters Championships
Rowers aged up to 87 years old will be racing in this popular two-day regatta held at National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham from 15-16 June
Photo: AllMarkOne
The record entry of 910 at this year’s championships shows that Masters rowing – and Masters racing in particular – is more popular than ever. Up by 89 from last year (which was the third highest entry ever), crews will contest 144 different events over this fabulous festival of rowing, seven more than in 2023.
Sculling remains the dominant discipline – all of the ten most popular events are for quads, doubles or single sculls. Of these the two largest are the Women’s Intermediate 50+ coxless quads and doubles, each with 17 entries. Open Masters E (average age 55+) is thriving too with 16 entries in the Championship double sculls and 15 in the singles. Women’s Championship C (average age 43+) and D (average age 50+) doubles also have 15 entries apiece. The winners of these events will have really earned their medals! Around 52% of the entries are in Open events, 35% in Women’s and 13% in Mixed.
The oldest competitor this year is Pat Ward, aged 87, who will be racing with younger clubmates in Royal Chester RC’s Masters J quad (average age 80+). The youngest competitors are two 14-year old coxes from Poole ARC and Tideway Scullers.
Organising Committee Chair Christopher Anton said, “It’s good to see the proportion of masters women competing increasing year-on-year and we’re exceptionally pleased to have a race for WJ 1x this year which is the oldest race for women we have ever had at the Championships.”
125 clubs will be represented at the Championships, with eight entering 20 or more crews. London RC has the largest entry at a whopping 57, followed by Tideway Scullers School with 50 and Monmouth RC with 37. The Welsh club won the Victor Ludorum last year with Scullers second and London down in 10th position. Six different clubs have won it across the last seven years it has been awarded, and with quantity being an important element in notching up points for this, one of the Tideway-based clubs could soon be added to this palmares and take home the £1,000 prize money sponsored by Faster Masters Rowing.
Racing will take place over 1,000m from 08:40-18:40 on Saturday and 09:00-15:56 on Sunday.
