Wye rowers prove Master blasters at worlds in Bled

WYE rowers proved 'oarsome' at the World Rowing Masters Championships on Slovenia's Lake Bled, finishing third best men's team in the 5,000-competitor global event and sixth overall.

Monmouth Rowing Club's 20-strong flotilla comprising some 88 crews and scullers launched out with high hopes at the five-day event, attended by nearly 900 clubs from more than 50 countries.

And racing in age-group 'heats' of up to eight boats there were some outstanding performances, with Mark Woods not only winning his Masters F (over-60) 1.000m singles race by 10 seconds, but also setting the fastest time out of 140 scullers, ahead of Estonian 2004 and 2008 Olympic singles and doubles silver medallist Juri Jaanson by half a second.

Securing bragging rights as 'World No 1' in his age group, the win in 3 minutes 48.32 seconds was even more impressive coming at the end of the fourth day, after numerous hard races in both Monmouth scull and sweep boats.

In all, he won six golds, including in the club's new double/pair boat named in his honour.

Monmouth landed eight golds in all, with Liz Lewis and Sue Smith setting the ball rolling on day one in the 'Mark Woods', taking the club's first ever women's win at the global event landing victory in their Masters E (over-55) pairs race.

It was nip and tuck going through half-way before the Monmouth duo burst clear of the pack in the second 500m to come home 4L clear of Pennsylvania outfit Three Rivers in second in 4.15.83.

And also using the new boat named in his honour, Mark in the final event of the opening day teamed up with the club's Athens Olympian coach Tim Male to take out their ME doubles race by just over a length from a Berlin duo in 3.37.07, in the second fastest time out of 160 starters.

Woods was back on the gold standard on day two, this time with Simon Lee in the MF double sculls, crossing in 3.38.88 over 2L clear of a duo from Ontario in second.

And he and Male also reprised their earlier doubles gold with ME pairs victory by some 2L from a Dutch duo in 3.37.53 on day three, in the second quickest time out of more than 50 boats.

He then teamed up on day four with 1982 Cambridge Boat Race president Roger Stephens, Tim Earnshaw and Australia-based Mike Partridge, who took up rowing at Monmouth RC in the 1970s and was back in the town visiting family over the summer.

And it was gold again as the foursome won their MG (over-65) coxless fours race by just over a length from Kiwis North Shore in 3.31.59, also claiming 'World No 1' bragging rights by setting the fastest time by 0.24 seconds from a Budapest quartet out of more than 40 boats.

Mark then produced his stunning scull to end the racing before day five's traditional mixed events.

Sure enough, he was on the podium again winning his Mixed ME quadruple sculls race with golden girls Liz Lewis and Sue Smith, plus club coach Tim Male, by some 3L from a German boat in 3.26.28.

And Roger Stephens also doubled up with two-time US Olympic medallist Anne Grainger from Wallingford RC in the Mixed MG doubles, winning their eight-boat race by a full 10 seconds.

There were also some close seconds, including Kathryn Diserens and cox Richard Summers in a composite women's MB (over-36) 8 and Kathryn Hooton, Liz Lewis, Shelagh Sawyer, Sue Smith and cox Bonita Birkett in women's MF coxed fours.

With Bonita replacing Kathryn, they also took a second in ME coxless fours, matched by Woods, Earnshaw, Stephens and former GB lightweight Chris Skuse in the MG men's quads.

The MF coxless fours of Nick Hooton, Simon Lee, Colin Lewis and Woods, and the ME coxed four of Male, Lee, Woods, Hooton and cox Birkett also placed second, alongside the mixed MG quad, mixed MC eight and mixed MF eight.

Former Monmouth School rowing master and GB international John Griffiths also teamed up with son Tom to take a battling third in MC (over-42 average) pairs.

And the duo were also on board the club's fastest boat of the regatta in MC quads with Male and Alex Mitchell, taking a fourth in 3.20.71.