The very best of British masters rowing on display in Banyoles

Aberdeen BC finish 3rd in Women’s Club Trophy at the 51st World Rowing Masters Regatta

After five days of racing featuring more than 3700 athletes from around the world, the Catalan curtain came down on the 2025 World Rowing Masters Regatta in Banyoles.

It was a regatta that brought 747 clubs together from 50 countries, reaching every corner of the globe. After 659 races, Aberdeen BC finished third in the standings for the Women’s Club Trophy, just ahead of Marlow RC and Nottingham RC in fourth and fifth place, respectively. There were more outstanding performances from Upper Thames RC and Warwick BC, who finished inside the top ten as well.

On the men’s side of things, six clubs placed inside the top 20. Strong performances across the regatta resulted in Tees RC, Bedford Star Club, Upper Thames RC, Marlow RC, Aberdeen BC, and Poole ARC all finishing amongst the best clubs in the world.

This meant that in the Overall standings, Marlow RC finished fourth. The winners were Sport Club Corinthians Paulista from Brazil, ahead of Chinook Performance Racing from the USA, and the French club Region Grand Est.

As is tradition at the World Rowing Masters Regatta, Sunday was dedicated to mixed racing with 104 races on the final day of racing. This followed a regatta that celebrated countless aspects of the sport. In addition to the racing, the regatta in Banyoles paid tribute to the legacy of the sport. A special ceremony, led by four-time Olympic champion Sir Matthew Pinsent, honoured the athletes who competed in the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games on the beautiful Lake Banyoles.

The event also honoured its most senior participants, a tradition that reflects the lifelong dedication within the rowing community. The World Rowing Masters Commission recognised all competitors aged 80 and over, affectionately known as the ‘Octos,’ in a ceremony where they were presented with a special medal. This included the oldest competitor, 96-year-old Odilon Maia Martins of Brazil.

Aberdeen BC’s Gary Bain is also a member of the World Rowing Masters Commission and was delighted with this year’s Regatta in Baynyoles.

“The WR Masters Commission is grateful to the Banyoles Organising Committee, who staged a wonderful edition of the WRMR,” he said.

“The athletes I talked to had nothing but praise for the course, the beautiful surroundings, and the umpires and volunteers who worked so hard to provide 5 days of quality racing. British rowers competed with the best masters from around the world and secured numerous gold medals to bring back home. For those who didn’t win, there was still the enjoyment of racing on the stunning Lake Banyoles course, and the camaraderie amongst competitors was fantastic to see”.

“Off the water, we had Catalonian entertainment from drummers, dancers, and musicians as well as ceremonies celebrating former Olympians who raced here in 1992 and our ever-inspiring octogenarian rowers. There was also a special World Rowing dinner, ‘An Evening with a Legend – Sir Matthew Pinsent’, where the four-time Olympic Champion recounted tales of his first Olympic regatta at Banyoles.

“Conditions on the water were good for the majority of the event, but Saturday nearly threw a curveball when officials and athletes woke up to an impressive thunderstorm. Walking to the course at 6am, I was treated to sheet and forked lightning crackling around all sides of Lake Banyoles. Our first race, scheduled for 8am, was postponed until 9am, then 9:30am, and finally, we got racing started at 10am. That time was critical, as had we started any later, we would have had to cancel races. We raced every three minutes for 10 hours solid, with no breaks for volunteers and officials, to ensure the last race of the day, Men’s A8+, was completed just before sunset.

“I have had the privilege of attending this event since 2011, as the British representative of the Masters Commission, but this year was the first that I also wore two other hats, as a coach of crews racing from Aberdeen BC and as a rower myself. I was incredibly proud to see my squad take to the stage of the closing ceremony, as they placed 3rd in the Women’s Club Trophy. Pretty impressive for a wee club in the north of Scotland!

“Congratulations to all British rowers, coxes, coaches, umpires, volunteers, and supporters for making Banyoles 2025 such a fantastic event. I hope to see many of you again, next September, in Slovenia to compete on Lake Bled.”

You can catch up on all of the racing via the World Rowing YouTube channel.

The 2026 World Rowing Masters Regatta will be held in Bled, Slovenia, from 9-13 September 2026.