On the weekend of 15th and 16th June, Avon County Rowing Club took on the British Masters Championships in Nottingham amidst a backdrop of wildly varying weather conditions. With a record entry after several cancelled races recently, the event did not disappoint in terms of competitiveness and drama!

Saturday saw blue skies quickly give way to thunderstorms that forced racing to stop not once, but twice. Lightning even struck the water, putting the scoreboard out of commission for the remainder of the weekend! Rowers had to be prepared for everything from sunny spells and torrential downpours.

Sunday brought calmer conditions from a weather perspective, but the racing was as intense as ever. Over the two days, we witnessed countless gritty performances and hard-fought battles across all boat classes.

Avon County showed its mettle, powering to gold medals in the Mixed Masters D 4x- and Women’s 50+ 4x- events. We also claimed bronze in the Women’s Masters E 4x- with our Mixed Masters E 8+ crew narrowly missing the podium in 4th place, just 0.7 seconds away from

bronze.

While the racing was fabulous, the true highlight was the amazing camaraderie and sportsmanship on display from clubs across the country. Win or lose, smiles were aplenty as we recounted adventures, swapped stories, and refueled with delicious homemade bread pudding and tiffin afterward!

It was an incredibly rewarding weekend for everyone who made the trip to Nottingham. The British Masters Championships always test the

limits with challenging conditions and elite competition. But that’s what makes the victories that much sweeter!

A huge congratulations to all our medal winners and participants. We can’t wait to take on the British Masters again next year with this same spirit of determination, camaraderie and friendship!