Sixth Seville international rowing masters

On the 21st and 22nd of October Calpe Rowing Club (CRC) were in competition at the 6th Sevilla International Rowing Masters, looking to maintain their level at this very successful hunting ground.
Joined by Colin Tester from Mediterranean Rowing Club and Jose Garcia Moreno and Daniel Nieto Gurridi from Club Náutico de Sevilla, seven medals were won over the weekend in which the overall standard was found to be higher than usual and tight competitive races were in abundance throughout the age categories A-I depending on the average age of the crews.
The first race on the Saturday in ‘F’ category was Jonathan Zammitt, Marcelino Linares, Leslie Grech and Nigel Pardo in a quad scull, looking to repeat last year’s success in this category. Despite a strong push to the line as they closed down their opponents, the CRC crew were held off by half a length by the basques from UR Kirolak rowing club from the North of Spain.
Mark Lett then won the first medal of the weekend in the single scull followed by another win in the single for Colin Tester, both in the “A” age category. Mark and Colin then joined forces in ‘A’ double scull event shortly after to record another strong win showing their potential as a composite crew in this boat class.
Jonathan Zammitt brought in another medal for CRC by the tightest of margins as he gained an early half length lead off the start against his nearest challenger from York City Rowing Club and battled to hold his advantage to cross the line just in front.
Shortly after Jonathan was back on the water with Nicholas Prior for the ‘C’ category double scull event. Jon and Nick found themselves second to a fast start from the Portuguese double from Viana Remadores de Lima but trusted in their power and rhythm to overtake their opponents in the last 200m to gain a half length advantage for the win.
In the ‘G’ category Les Grech showed immaculate form, but came up a close second to an imposingly large rower from Carmelo rowing club in Uruguay.
The ‘D’ eights events was next- with Martin, Lett,Zammitt,King, Prior, Grech, Pardo and Linares in a boat class not used in local rowing on Gibraltar waters and CRC failed to gel quickly enough to impact on the race. However a few hours later Wahnon from CRC and Moreno and Gurridi from náutico de Sevilla subbed in lowering the age average to ‘B’ category with a straight final against the German crew from Rudergemeinschaft Angaria Hannover. The composite crew of Martin, Lett, Wahnon, King, Zammitt, Prior, Moreno and Gurridi were down off the start against the polished German crew but built on the previous race experience to produce an intense but composed performance to wear their opponents down stroke by stroke to win by a 3/4 length lead.
Sunday brought a single race entry with Julian Wahnon, Mark Lett, Jeremy King and Colin Tester rowing in the coxless 4 ‘A’ category. The formation of a composite crew with more established bowsiders than strokesiders was a challenge on paper, but on the water good teamwork and cooperation came to the fore as the crew built through the race to impose themselves by the halfway mark and move away to win by clear water
- J.Z.