A GREAT performance was put in by members of the Port Macquarie Rowing Club at the recent NSW Masters Championships at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith.
Rowers, aged from 27 to 70 years, took part in the event with Port Macquarie featuring in the medal presentations on several occasions.
Saturday proved an ordeal for all competitors with gale force winds increasing with ferocity throughout the day.
The first Port Macquarie rower to obtain a first in his heat and progress to the final, to eventually take out the gold, was Jim Young, who showed his experience and level of fitness in the individual men’s F single scull.
Kim Chilton and Sue Watts
followed closely in the women’s D double scull.
After being placed second in their heat, they fought the challenging conditions to claim a silver medal in the final.
The men’s G double scull saw two Port Macquarie crews make the final.
Rob Hopley and Young secured bronze, with Darby Munro and Tim Morgan following in fourth place.
Young and Liz Levido, in their pet event, maintained their winning streak by taking gold in mixed E-F double scull.
Sunday’s weather calmed and
provided perfect conditions for the remainder of the regatta.
Carry Williamson, a well-known competitor in rowing circles, enjoyed further success, snaring gold in a composite women’s G-J quad scull.
She also obtained a fifth in the final of the women’s G-J single scull, a bronze in women’s G double scull and a bronze in the women’s F double scull.
Williamson joined Sue Watts and Tess Hunter in the final of the women’s F quad scull and just missed a bronze to take fourth.
Young teamed up with David Cullen of Brisbane Waters, on the Central Coast, and secured a second in the heat, and silver in their final of the men’s E double scull.
Hopley also obtained a silver in men’s H-J single scull.
He competed in a composite men’s H-J quad scull and captured gold and, with the same rowers from the Hunter in the men’s G-J coxless four, snared a silver.
The final medal collected at the regatta was late on the Sunday with Chilton competing in the women’s D single scull.
With calmer water, she crossed the line with seconds to spare to take the gold medal - making all her training worthwhile.
Other results included Levido, who placed sixth in the final of C single skull.
After winning their heat, Hunter, Meredith Hinds, Chilton and Watts crossed the line in fifth place in the final.
Bob Mowlem and Morgan obtained a fourth in the men’s F coxless pair event.
Alan McCartney contested the men’s E single scull and finished sixth.
Graeme Bell achieved a second in the men’s C single scull heat, progressing to the final gaining seventh.
Bell, joined by Tony Chilton, Alan Wheatland and Michael Watts, not only battled the conditions, but
experienced a rudder malfunction over the 1000m.
Tony Jonas, Munro, Morgan and Mowlem competed in the men’s F quad scull finals, picking up a sixth.
Jonas, Wheatland, Watts and Mowlem won a place in the final of the men’s E quad scull, however were not among the medals.
Excellent times and efforts were also put in by rowers Pauline Roods, Trisha McIntyre, Geraldine Clarke and Jaime Lawrence.
The masters’ rowers are not resting on their success, but are continuing with their training to compete in the Australian Masters Championships in Rockhampton.
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