IF there’s one sport suited to the weekend’s soggy weather, rowing has got to be it.
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The drizzle did nothing to dampen spirits at the annual Lake Moodemere Rowing Regatta, with a record 1002 entries this year.
“We’re a little bit tougher than the cricketers, who go off the field at the sight of a cloud,” joked Paul Somerville, president of the Murray Rowing Association.
Now in its 149th year, the regatta is one of the oldest — if not the oldest — rowing events in Australia and consistently attracts a high standard of rowers from across the state.
There’s the stalwarts of course, like the Melbourne Rowing Club, and participants like 82-year-old Neville Howell, a member of the 1956 Olympic team who on Saturday rowed in the I Class Coxed Four for Nagambie Rowing Club and won.
Then there’s race-caller Roger Wilson, who’s been calling the regatta since the 1960s and knows his stuff when it comes to rowing.
“It’s a wonderful regatta because it’s fast and furious,” he said from the broadcast box.
“The races are only 800 metres and 500 metres, which makes it exciting and it is a wonderful course.”
But despite the event’s long history, there is always room for newcomers, this year including Albury Wodonga Rowing Club.
While it’s rowers have participated in the regatta before individually, it was the first time the club had entered as a team.
Its members included Richard McMahon and his son Hugh, 16 — for whom this was his first race after taking up the sport last year.
Mr Somerville said Corowa performed well at the regatta.
It won 25 individual races on Saturday.
He said it was good that there was was “a good spread of wins across the field”.