"Narrowest Difference in Open D Eight Medals Historically Recorded"
The heat was on at the British Rowing Masters Championships as Kingston RC, Portora BC, and Walbrook RC locked horns in the Open D Eights final. The excitement built right from the start, and the final 400m was a race for the ages.
As the crews battled it out, it was Ireland's Portora Boat Club that took an early lead. But Kingston RC, led by cox Susie Spires, wasn't backing down. "We knew we were in with a chance from the heat, but the final is always a whole different ballgame," Susie admitted. With just 0.4 seconds separating the two crew's strokes, it was anyone's race.
Kingston pushed forward, and the race turned into a dazzling display of rowing prowess. Tom Wheeton, sitting at the two seat, described the tension: "We had them off the start, they drew back on us in the middle of the race. It was in the last 200m. We practiced that wind, and that sustained us." Meanwhile, Minerva Bath Rowing Club managed to climb up in the standings, hot on the heels of Walbrook RC and Bewl Bridge RC, closing in with a mere 0.8 seconds between themselves and Agecroft RC.
The race was tighter than a knot, the crews racing towards the finish line with their hearts pounding. Eventually, it was Boh Tjarks of Kingston RC who crossed the line first, but it took a long pause before anyone knew who had won. The moment the scoreboard confirmed the results, Kingston RC had taken the victory by a mere 0.27 seconds. Minerva Bath Rowing Club snatched silver, crossing the line ahead of Portora BC.
Chris Allen, Portora's Club Captain, was chuffed with the result: "We knew we were close to a medal. It was very tight—looking at the times, we can see that. I wasn't sure if we'd made it to be completely honest—sitting in the stroke seat, I was further back and couldn't tell. We're an E crew, so we're racing again this afternoon. Hopefully, if we can race like that again, we'll have a chance." The crew went on to impress everyone with a gold win in the Open E Eights.
Minerva's Ed, the seven of the Minerva boat, was thrilled with the experience: "This was our first row in that lineup—it was quite exciting. The heat was solid, and the first half of our final was solid. Then it was exciting when the boat took off, and our cox started screaming 'We can get them!' at the top of her lungs. It was a magical feeling—when you start rowing through a crew. You know something is happening."
Susie, Kingston RC's cox, was delighted with the crew's victory: "We're a big squad at Kingston RC, and it's a lot of scratch crews that go out on the weekend. We've tried as a crew to get together during the week and stick together doing double sessions on the weekend. It's really hard when you have surgeons in the boat—we've been going out at 8:30 pm in the evenings. But it's paid off."
The Masters Championships saw some of the closest and most thrilling races in the event's history. These crews battled tooth and nail, training hard, and executing precision maneuvers to outwit and outlast their competition. In the end, it was a testament to their dedication, skill, and sheer guts that decided this heart-stopping final.
Find full results and photos from the British Rowing Masters Championships here
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[1] Based on data from the enrichment section.
Sports at the British Rowing Masters Championships reached its climax as Kingston RC, Portora BC, and Walbrook RC contended in the Open D Eights final, a rowing competition that showcased athleticism and skill. Throughout the race, Kingston RC and Portora BC continually exchanged the lead, demonstrating their prowess in the sport of rowing.
