On Saturday 23 September 2017 Roger Stainforth of Durham ARC participated as captain, along with 16 others from around the UK, in a team of indoor rowers aged 70+ years who gathered in Newquay, Cornwall and set a world record in the large team (9 or more members) category, rowing in relay over a distance of 100km.
Each team member rowed 37 rotations, with Roger having the privilege of rowing the first and last rotations making a total of 39. The record took place on a Concept 2 Model E machine with each member rowing in turn for 20 strokes flat out, achieving an average of 161m per rotation.
The World Record time achieved was 5 hours 45 mins 8.1 secs, with a split time of 1.43.5sec per 500 metres and a rate of 36 strokes per minute.
As Roger (73) observed afterwards ‘It was no surprise that the time was 4m 42.1s faster than that achieved by the 8-man team who set the small team record of 5h 49m 50.2s at the same venue last year. Perhaps it could have been quicker but the noble endeavours of sport played their part with two 80+year olds in the team and one taking part only 11 weeks after a hip replacement.
Why Newquay? Tommy Gee who organises the event runs the Newquay Indoor Rowing Club, without his machines and organisational skills there would probably be no record’.