On Saturday 14th June, Ironbridge Rowing Club took our Women Masters C Quad to the British Rowing Masters Championships 2025 at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham to race over 6 lanes at the National Watersports Centre (A special thanks to Bridgnorth RC for lending us their trailer!). The crew of Sandra, Liz, Catherine and Sarah have been training as part of the ‘Pony Club’ Women Masters Quad Scull squad since November 2024 with fellow member Chantalle for the event.
In tough conditions that saw racing suspended multi times during the day due to a very strong headwind, the quad set off for their race at 09:28 making their way to the 1000m start. Drawn in Lane 1 the heat was made up of the following crews:
- Lane 1 – Ironbridge RC
- Lane 2 – Gloucester RC
- Lane 3 – Bristol Aerial
- Lane 4 – Exeter RC (A)
- Lane 5 – Putney Town RC
- Lane 6 – Milton Keynes RC (A)
From the start our crew rated a strong 36 spm, before settling to 32 spm for the first 500m. However, at the 500m point and half way down the course they were in 5th place and 3.70 seconds behind 4th place and 5.60 seconds away from 3rd which is where they needed to be to qualify for the final. Digging deep they pushed away from the 500 and started to combat the strong headwind with some fantastic steering from Sarah in bow!
As they approached the last 250m, the crew lifted to 34 spm and drew alongside 4th place Gloucester RC in Lane 2! With a bump to 36, the race for qualification was on against Putney Town RC in Lane 6! With everything to go for Ironbridge put in the fastest second 500m of all Women Master C quad sculls of the day from both heats in a stunning time of 2:10.68.
Sadly however, it was Putney Town who crossed the finish line in 3rd to take the qualification for the final by just 4.39 seconds! Ironbridge finished 4th ahead of Gloucester RC by 1.69 seconds and Milton Keynes (A) by 24.59 seconds. A brilliant race from the ladies in their first ever British Masters Championship, made even more special with this being the first Ironbridge Womens Crew to race at British Masters in 25 years!
Club Captain and Women Masters Quad Sculling Squad Coach Stewart Plant said “It was an exceptional race from the quad in conditions that would make many want to stay at home. They gave everything in the last 500m and I couldn’t be prouder of the final result. As this was our first session it shows lots of promise for the club and the squad going forwards!”
