A Master-ful performance by veterans
DURHAM Amateur Rowing Club pushed the boat out to claim medal success at the British Rowing Masters Championships.
Club crews celebrated one gold, four silver and two bronze medals in Championship events, with a further victory in a non-Championship contest - all 18 of the club’s entries reaching finals.
The Masters attracts the best rowers from clubs across the UK to the National Watersports Centre in Holme Pierrepoint, Nottingham, to race against each other over a 1,000metre course.
Masters are categorised by age with all entrants being aged over 27.
On day one there was a gold medal for Durham’s Gill Prescott and Eva Rankin of Loch Lomond in the Women’s Masters F double sculls (for average ages 60 to 64).
In the same final Ray Dominy and Joyce Collett took the bronze medal, both crews having previously won their respective heats to qualify for the decider.
Prescott and Rankin went on to clinch a silver medal with a composite crew from Upper Thames Rowing Club and Wycliffe College in the final of the Women’s Masters F coxless quad.
There were further medals for Durham, John Appleby and Micky Stevens celebrating silver in the Masters G double sculls (for ages 65 to 69) after the pair, along with John Watkinson and David Walker, had taken silver in the Masters G coxless quad.
The final medal on day one was a bronze for John Lyons, Paul Rutter, John Watkinson and Richard Court in the Masters E coxless quad (for ages 55 to 59).
On day two there was a silver for the Women’s Masters E eight of Sarah Rutter, June Davison, Ray Dominy, Gabrielle Moore, Susan Jackson, Christine Heppell, Sam English, Angela Lund and cox Nigel van Zwanenberg.
In non-championship events - for those who have not won at championship level there was a victory for Sam English, Aisling Dutton, Gabrielle Moore and Christine Heppell in the Women’s Masters E coxless quad.
It was a well-deserved medal for Dutton in her first appearance at the Championships, having taken up rowing only three years ago.
Durham finished 15th out of 90 clubs in the Victor Ludorum competition for the top club at the championships and was the highest-placed northern club.
DURHAM ARC hold their annual Allcomers Regatta at Durham on Sunday - a fun event for those who have not rowed before staged over a 300-metre course on the River Wear.