Over the last weekend the Nottingham Regatta Committee hosted two annual events.
On Saturday 11 May it was Nottingham City Regatta that was established during the 1870s.
It set out as an annual event but wars, weather and Covid caused some to be cancelled.
However, this year the conditions were nearly perfect with a gentle tail wind blowing down the Holme Pierrepont course and lots of sunshine making fast conditions.
313 crews entered meaning there were 1200 competitors coming from a far afield as Windermere, Norwich and Sudbury. There were races every 5 minutes form 9am until 5 30 in the evening.
Shiplake College won Club eights in both the morning and afternoon with their girls also winning development quadruple sculls and coxed fours. There were quite a few Cambridge Colleges present and Molesey came from London.
NCRA won local bragging rights winning 5 events with Nottingham & Union winning Women under 18 coxless pairs.
Nottingham Masters and Club Regatta 12 May 2024
On Sunday it was the turn of the older and younger rowers to try and win at the Masters & Club Regatta. In this regatta, every event is a final (like at the World Rowing Masters Regatta), which maximises the opportunities to double-up: some competitors took full advantage of this. Resulting in several athletes winning 3 medals. Over 330 crews entered, and with a race every 4 minutes there was 7 hours of racing.
Peterborough Rowing Club won 10 events. Greenbank Falmouth won Masters F coxless pairs which made the 6-hour journey worthwhile. NCRA and Nottingham & Union both won 5 events and Nottingham RC won 2 eight events and Women’s D coxed fours at the end of the day.
The biggest cheer of the day was for Ms Lester of Monmouth RC racing in a handicap race where she was given a 27 second start because the other scullers were only 65 years old and 15 years younger than her. After she set off one the “youngesters” jumped the start meaning she was bought back to the start! She lost the actual race by some distance as age is a wicked thing but the crowd cheered her home especially as the race after hers was closing down on her.
The new “Freedom” medals were well received. Competitors thanked the organisers for putting on such a well-run event which finished on time.
