More than 2,000 men and women will be racing in the 22 Masters' and Veterans' events in this year's Head Of The Charles Regatta. 1,200 men and nearly 850 women will be racing in singles, doubles, fours and eights to recapture a bit of their youth and prove that the desire to race and win doesn't fade with age. In fact, for many it only gets more intense.
Consider the competition in the masters' singles events: 200 men and 100 women will be racing in five, 10- year age categories starting with the 30 year old youngsters (some of us old guys, aka "veterans," often wonder if these newbies have yet earned the title of "master") and rising to the 70+ year old and much revered Senior Veterans.
And in each category it will be mano a mano in the men's and women's races. In the 40+ Senior Master's race watch last year's powerhouse, Tom Bohrer, take on the long and lanky finesse of Russ Cone and Sean Wolf. It should be very close.
In the women's Senior Masters' race, Tina Vandersteel moves up to the 40+ class to take on the veterans, Marie Kruger and 10 time HOCR winner, Ellen Kennelly. Marie has gained lot of speed over the winter while Ellen is eager to prove that a winter and spring of chemo and radiation can't keep her down.
It gets no easier in the 50+ Grand Masters' single races. With his daughter, Gevvie, pushing him all spring and summer, Gregg Stone is hoping that trying and failing to stay ahead of his 25 year old daughter will be enough to defeat last year's winner, Mike Stopler, and this year's #1 seed, the reedy John Tracy. In the women's race, watch for the distaff head of the Bohrer family, CB Sands, to take on Margaritta Zezza of the Carlo Zezza family.
Up to the 60+ Veterens' single where the legendary Jim Dietz (legendary means winning so many HOCR races that you've lost count) will try to hold off the quick, high rating Jack Meyer and the likes of Henry Hamilton who will carry a 64 second handicap into the race. It's 8 seconds a year for every year over 60; we old scullers need all the help we can get!
Turning to the big boats, Team Attager (that's regatta spelled backwards) will be looking for a fifth consecutive win in the 50+ Grand Masters' 8+ event. It won't be easy as the crews of the Palm Beach and the 1980 Olympic boats don't take losing very well. And it's rumored that there is a big boat coming out of Canada comprising an all star crew of past Olympians eager for a brawl. It will be trash talk in the basin and high fives no matter how it turns out.
You see, we masters have an excuse. If we win, it's virility. If we lose, hey - it's just old age.
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10/23/2010 5:58:03 PM
The above statement is as it is written an excuse..., rowers of all ages lose because they train too hard and overuse their upper body when they should be driving from below the waist.
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I hope you all had a great windy Saturday up in Boston. A friend of mine said that the wind was strong and relentless. One day I will come back and race in the masters, but only if I am REALLY FIT, REALLY REALLY REALLY FIT. Arrrrrrrgh, I will be back.