Great conditions, great racing, great regatta – the 2024 Bont Rowing Australian Masters Rowing Championships at Lake Barrington had it all!

Tasmania’s Masters athletes bagged a swag of medals from 199 events across the four days (May 8-11) of the regatta and our State crews claimed medals in four of the five Interstate races in which we entered crews.

Para rower Michael Taylor (TUBC, coach Peter Volker) set the Interstate races tone on the Friday with a win in the men’s PR3 single scull (4:05.01, 1sec handicap) from NSW’s K. Wall.

The ISM4x crew of Michael Wilson (URC), Mark Bonham (TRC), Patrick Bird (NERC) and stroke Deon Birtwistle (NERC), coached by Trevor Barrett (NERC), put in a strong row to bring home the gold medal in a time of 3:07.99 ahead of New South Wales and Victoria. It was the second successive year Tasmania has won this event, with Wilson, Bonham and Bird also in that boat.

In the ISW4x race, the Tasmanian crew of Sandra Wilson (URC), Alison Kirkwood (MRC), Jane Hilliard (TUBC) and stroke Sabrina Sonda (NERC), coached by James Pirie (SBRC), won the bronze medal (3:34.62) behind Victoria (gold) and Queensland (silver).

South Australia won the ISM8+, with NSW second and our Tasmanian crew of James Cowley (LRC), Jonathon Pitt (LRC), Kim Morgan (LRC), David Fisher (SBRC), Chris Fox (BRC), Aaron Midgley (LRC), Phil Hutton (LRC), Tom Wilcox (stroke, LRC) and cox Georgina Rumbel (NERC), coached by Sam Mollard (LRC) finished in third place (3:01.95).

Our ISW8+ crew of Penny Brodribb (SBRC), Claire Vicars (BRC), Nicola Anderson (BRC), Sarah Birch (SBRC), Belinda Schultz (URC), Gina Anderson (URC), Jill Johnstone (LRC), Rachel Gray (URC), coxed by Claire Gregg (NERC) and coached by Courtney Blyth (BRC), finished sixth (3:31.54) behind gold medal winner South Australia.

But the Interstate events were only a small part of the AMRC program and Tasmania’s club rowers made a statement across the program.

Topping the Medals Table for Tasmanian clubs was North Esk Rowing Club which, with a total 22.5 medals, finished seventh overall of the 84 clubs competing from across Australia, New Zealand and Belgium.

Three Tasmanian clubs finished the top 20 of the Club Point Score:

3 – North Esk RC, 1176.25 points

9 – Lindisfarne RC, 748.5

14 – Buckingham RC, 613

In the Individual Point Score four Tasmanian club rowers were in the top 20 (of 791 athletes):

4 – Michael Wilson (URC), 125.25 points

5 – Robert Wrigley (NERC), 123.25

13 – Tom Wilcox (LRC), 108.75

16 – Sam Casey (TUBC), 107

Rowing Tasmania congratulates all our affiliated Clubs on their performances at the AMRC2024.

Rowing Tasmania would also like to thank the many volunteers and officials who worked tirelessly before, during and after the event to help make AMRC2024 such a success.

The next 10 months will be busy as we work our way up to next year’s Australian Rowing Championships at Lake Barrington from March 24-30. We hope to see you there!

Pictures: Rowing Australia/Gary Linagh

For all the results from AMRC2024 click here