World Rowing Masters 2019

Durham ARC Masters took 2 trailers and a team of 5 drivers to Lake Valence in Hungary to compete at the World Rowing Masters Regatta, entering 24 races over the 5 days of competition between September 11th and 15th.

Located 50km from Budapest, Lake Valence is the second largest lake in Hungary, covering 26 square kilometres.

The regatta attracted over 5000 entries representing 52 countries, the men’s single sculls having the greatest number of entries with 1050, including 150 entering at masters D (50 years or over) and another 150 at masters E (55 or over). The age of competitors ranged from 27 to 93.

Because of the large number of entries races started every 3 minutes during the regatta, meaning no progression system through heats, semi-finals and finals, so all races were in effect finals with medals awarded to the winner of each race.

The club returned with wins in 4 events, three of them involving John Appleby. The first win came on Thursday for Andy Jaggard of DARC and Nick Cowan of Lakeland RC (left) in the MasF 2x, winning heat 7 in a time of 3m 45.59s for the 1000 metres. Three DARC crews took part in this event, with John Appleby and Micky Stevens finishing 2nd in heat 13, and John Watkinson and Paul Rutter 3rd in heat 5.

On Friday John Appleby and Micky Stevens (who the previous week had celebrated 50 years service with Durham County Council) competed again in the MasG 2x, this time winning heat 8 in a time of 3m 45.3sec for John to claim his first medal.

The next medal came on Saturday in the MasG 1x, an event in which DARC had 2 entries. Andy Jaggard went in heat 6 and finished 3rd in 4.09.42, before John Appleby (after finishing 2nd in the MasH 1x on Thursday) won heat 13, albeit in a slower time of 4.14.54, to secure his second medal of the week.

The third medal for john Appleby, and 4th for DARC, came in Sunday’s mixed races where John combined with Eva Rankin of Loch Lomond (in top photo) to win the Mixed Masters G 2x, also posting the fastest time of the four heats (3.59.83).

There were two more 2nd place finishes, the MasG coxless quad of John Watkinson, Paul Rutter, John Appleby and Micky Stevens on Thursday, and the MxdMasG coxless quad, consisting of John Appleby, Micky Stevens, Eva Rankin (Loch Lomond) and Joy Skipper (Upper Thames) on Sunday.

Another 3rd place finish for DARC came on the first day of the regatta on Wednesday for the Durham/York composite Women’s Masters E 8+ including Gabrielle Moore, Clare Blowey and Sarah Rutter.

Other results as follows –

Wednesday –

MasH 2x – Derek Gordon and Micky Stevens – 5th

MasF 1x – John Appleby – 4th

Mas I-M 8+ – Derek Gordon and composite – 4th

Thursday –

MasG 8+ – Micky Stevens, Paul Rutter, Derek Gordon and Grosvenor, Maidenhead, Royal Chester and Runcorn composite – 6th

WMasE 4x- – Gabrielle Moore, Clare Woodward, Sarah Rutter and Anne Homa (York City) – 6th

Friday –

MasE 1x – Paul Rutter – 5th

MasF 4x- – Paul Rutter, John Watkinson + Cambois, Tyne United composite – 7th

WMasE 2x – Gabrielle Moore, Clare Woodward – 7th

Saturday –

WMasD 4x- – Clare Woodward, Gabrielle Moore, Sarah Rutter and Lisa Kallal (Mortlake, Anglian and Alpha) – 4th

MasH 8+ – Derek Gordon and Grosvenor, Maidenhead, Nottingham, Royal Chester and Runcorn composite – 6th

MasD 4x- – Paul Rutter + Runcorn composite – 7th

Sunday –

MxdMasF 8+ – Derek Gordon, Paul Rutter + Royal Chester composite – 4th

MxdMasF 4x- – Paul Rutter, John Watkinson, Gabrielle Moore, Sarah Rutter – 5th

MxdMasE 2x Paul Rutter and Sarah Rutter – 6th

Results from all 5 days are available on the Regatta Central website.

Balint Czucz and Bence Szlovak have provided event photos.

The 2020 World Masters Regatta will  be staged at Linz-Ottensheim, Austria, and will take place on September 2nd to 6th.