As we get older and the age group ranks in our clubs gets smaller there needs to be a bit of inovation. St Georges R C and Auckland R C have put together a composite average 70 years old, crew. Not just put together for a regatta but for regular outings/training sessions. The crew, based […]

I spend a lot of my time coaching. During the school season that’s mostly school crews but off season and when time allows I like coaching masters. What do Masters bring that makes coaching them so rewarding? Increasingly the masters I coach are taking it up after their own children have taken up the sport. […]

Missing buoys, steering off course, falling out of your boat, being late to the start, rushing the slide, or stopping too soon before the finish line are only a few of those rookie mistakes common to the new competitive sculler. The skills of racing a single scull take time to develop because it is a […]

A coach’s eye on your blade keeps technical crabs at bay during a practice. But if you’re out alone you need a way to self-coach. As a part of your daily warm-up choose a drill that gives you clear feedback and sets the tone for your row. Two essential drills Here are a couple of […]

Bright and early on January 3, Tahunanui Beach in Nelson was all action. Members of the Nelson Rowing Club converged on the beach from 5.30am to pitch tents, rig coastal boats, set up a buoyed course and prepare for the third edition of the Swift Racing National Beach Sprint Champs. Over 90 Competitors signed up, […]

Just as pushing your bow across the line for the first time in the 50+ age category signifies entering a mature phase of your rowing career it may also mark new adventures in maintaining equilibrium in your training schedule. Masters athletes need to include the same intensities of work in their race preparation as their […]

St George’s Rowing Club was the host for a masters sweep camp organised by Christine Hobbs. Focusing on sweep rowing, the camp was open to only 16 athletes plus 3 coxswains. The host club took the opportunity to invite club coaches to join in to watch and learn as well. Christine’s vision was a focused […]

Getting ready to race takes a lot of practice. Fortunately come head racing season there are a lot of different events where you can practice and improve. As masters we enjoy the challenge of long distance rowing races and accept that we need to plan our training and practice before expecting to be successful racing, […]

You might have noticed in last month’s newsletter a photograph of me with my new friends from Piermont Rowing Club on the Hudson River in New York. Rebecca has prevailed on me to write a bit more about my experience. We have family – including a grand daughter – who have lived in New York […]

The DeLong Brief: The World Master Rowing Championships in 2022, in Libourne, France, was once again, a FAMILY AFFAIR (+ good UK buddy Liz)! Our first FAMILY AFFAIR (+ good UK buddy Liz) was at the World Masters Champs in Hungary in 2019. (Not much has changed, eh?). Libourne, France ‘put on a great […]

By Marlene Royle – first published at Faster Masters Rowing “What is that?” He opened my box. A seasoned security guard, he looked at the folded skeleton of metal, puzzled, like the guys at gas stations who think your boat is a missile on the roof of your car. But in this Middle Eastern airport […]

At the Legion of Rowers 2022 AGM our guest speaker was Martha DeLong – this is a summary of her very entertaining speech. Martha DeLong – Tour of Aotearoa: A Personal Journey “The Silver Ghost (aka MeloYelo Traverse E-Bike) had quite a long trip to make From Cape Reinga to Bluff in the south Fully […]

When coaching masters, I often find that they over-think the coaching instructions they receive. This can be tested by asking the athletes to “think about nothing” for ten strokes and then to take 10 strokes thinking about a technical point. Most row better when thinking about nothing! In our debriefs after practice many tell me […]

South Island Masters regatta hits Dunedin over the long weekend Jan Brosnahan Queen’s Birthday weekend saw the arrival in Dunedin of 220 masters rowers and supporters, mainly from the South Island but some from the North. The South Island Masters Regatta has run for two decades and always at Queen’s Birthday weekend. The first regatta […]

There are five core considerations when you want to row or work out but have family commitments. These are: Times of day to train Partner support Finding a crew who understands Ergometer (rowing machine) training versus water training Racing and regattas Times of day is an essential consideration – children are active at different times […]

The World Rowing Masters Regatta 2023 has been awarded to South Africa and will take place 21-24 September at Roodeplaat Dam in Tshwane (previously Pretoria). Our vision is to deliver a world-class regatta that is profoundly African and leaves a legacy for South African rowing and the local community. Start planning your trip today, and […]

South Island Masters regatta, 4–5 June Masters rowers enjoyed sunshine and mirror-like conditions on the Taieri River and Lake Waihola at the South Island Masters at Queen’s Birthday. Some 220 competitors attended from as far afield as Auckland and Bluff, and it was a great opportunity to rekindle friendships and rivalries. On the Saturday, 34 […]

A 70km row from Awaroa to Nelson celebrated two of the Nelson rowing community’s ‘remarkable men’ over the weekend. The Golden Edge Nelson Rowing Club hosted the first Myles Sellers Memorial Row on Saturday in honour of Nelson man Myles Sellers, who died last year. Myles’ wife Margarette says the day was emotional, but she […]

The big green thing is an old winch that I restored from a rusty old heap of steel found in a corner of the shed. The other photo includes the “John Barton” Stampfli doubles, given to me by West End. Frank and Alf Hansen of Norway won gold in it at the 1978 World Champs. […]

Regatta Report from the President We had a gloriously successful Legion regatta on May 14th at Karapiro. There were over 230 athletes attending and the weather gods were kind giving us light winds and a mostly sunny day. Full results. The team used the masters handicapping system applied at the start for the first time […]