Race Report: Masters Head of the River Race

The Masters Men fielded two eights for the end-of-season “Vets Head” (MHORR).

The "younger" E8+ took on some tough domestic and international competition, finishing 11th out of 18 with a time of 21:42.77 - just one second behind our neighbours at Quintin, who placed 10th. The crew, ranging from rowers in their 40s through to their early 70s, was expertly coxed by Alex, who managed to overtake coach Beth (coxing a rival Kingston crew!) as well as another Tideway team. A solid race and a great platform to build on heading into regatta season.

The "older" F8+ also faced a strong field, with 14 boats competing in their category. Sadly, the crew ran into steering problems after passing the halfway mark and had to retire. A disappointing way to close out the season, but everyone was proud to have made the attempt.

On the women's side, the WMasC 8+ put in a strong performance, crossing the line in 21:58 to claim 5th place in their event.The WMasE 8+ had an exciting race too, holding off a strong composite crew from Upper Thames, Wallingford, Maidenhead, and Tideway Scullers. They also overtook two other crews and kept Kingston behind them, finishing 7th with a time of 23:05.40.

The Women's Development Squad made a big step forward, gaining valuable racing experience in the novice category and finishing in 26:31.55. A brilliant result for a young squad learning the art of Tideway racing.

The scullers were thrilled to be back racing as well. The WMasABC quad had a storming row, overtaking a crew under Hammersmith Bridge and, after age adjustment, finished 4th in their category with a time of 22:31.81.The WMasD quad also had a great race, pacing themselves well and keeping the power consistent over the course. They crossed the line in 24:30.14 to place 6th.

A huge thanks to the Development Men's squad, who cooked up a storm and kept everyone fuelled throughout the day, and to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to keep our reputation as the "friendliest club on the Tideway" well and truly alive.