Cambridge club commends Masters

Members of the Cambridge Rowing Club have had time to reflect on their performance at the World Masters Games.

Rower Peter Fraser said a team of about 18 went to the New Zealand rowing nationals in Twizel 18 months ago, and that’s when the decision to compete in the World Masters Games was made.

‘‘We set the target to compete instead of just participate,’’ he said.

The rowing events of the World Masters were held at Lake Karapiro in April.

Amanda Puddle won two silver medals in both of the Women’s C Grade Single Sculls, and bronze in the D Grade Mixed Double with Stephen Gibbons.

The club won five other medals too: Gold in the Women’s B Grade Eight, silver in the Women’s C Grade Eight, silver in the F Grade Mixed Quad, gold in the Women’s C Grade Quad, and bronze in the Women’s D Grade Double.

Others achieved personal bests.

Fraser has coached rowing for the past two years so has been to Maadi Cup in Cambridge and Twizel, and said the World Masters Games had a different, friendlier vibe.

‘‘A team from Latvia came and asked to borrow a boat, because the boat they were given was one for big, heavy men and they were a light crew of women,’’ he said.

‘‘So we loaned them a boat, and they won a gold medal which they might not have done in a heavy men’s boat.

‘‘People come a long way and spend a lot of money to get to these events, they spend a lot of time training and then if they get there and they get lumped with a boat that’s not suitable for them, it’s hard.’’

For some Cambridge Rowing Club members, it was their first big regatta. Some past members re-joined the club for the event, making a mini-reunion out of it.

‘‘As with most athletes we were there to compete for the enjoyment of the event, but at the sound of the starting gun and memories of long-lost glories, we were racing for gold as if we were still those fit 20-year-olds we remembered being,’’ Fraser laughed.

Competition was of the highest standard, with many former elite rowers coming out of retirement for the event.

Fraser said the Cambridge club would like to thank everyone who made the World Masters Games successful and well organised.