Masters Fours Head 2025

🏆 Glitterball Greatness on the Thames! Monmouth Masters Shine at Fours Head! 🕺

What a weekend! While the good people of Monmouth were battling the aftermath of some truly biblical floods (sending a massive shout-out to everyone back home!), a brave cohort from Monmouth Rowing Club headed to London. Their mission? To conquer the Thames Championship Course, Mortlake to Putney, at the Masters Fours Head (or as the cool kids used to call it, the 'Vets Head').

But this wasn't just about rowing; it was about bringing a little sparkle back to our club, and as you can see from our fantastic team photo, we definitely brought the glamour! With a dazzling disco ball hanging over our heads, the atmosphere was less 'straining sinews' and more 'Saturday night on Strictly Come Dancing!'

So, grab your imaginary scoring paddle (and maybe a mop for the boathouse), and let's recap the results from the River Thames Ballroom!

🥇 The Championship Cha-Cha-Cha: Men's Masters C 4x

Our first crew certainly deserved a 'TEN FROM LEN!' They delivered a masterful performance, gliding through the gusty conditions with the grace of a professional dance troupe.

The Crew: Tim, Alex B, Jamie C, and (the stern but fair 'head judge') David B, the Boys' schools ex-rowing master.

They weren't just fast; they were Flawless! This fantastic four flew down the course, proving that even after battling flooded rivers, they still had the speed and technique to take the top spot in their category! A massive congratulations to the Men's C 4x for bagging a brilliant win – a huge morale boost after the tough conditions back in Monmouth!

🥉 The Rumba for Third Place: Masters Men's F 4+

Next up, our Men's Fours with Coxswain.

They faced some choppy water mid-race, making the conditions feel more like a rough-and-tumble Jive than a smooth glide!

The Crew: Nick, Toby, Alex M, Colin, and Cox Bonita.

Despite the challenging 'floor', this crew powered through and secured a well-deserved third place! A great result in a competitive category, proving that teamwork truly makes the dream work (even if the 'dance floor' is a bit wobbly!).

🥉 The Dodge & Dash Duet: Women's Masters E 4-

Our Women's crew definitely had the most dramatic routine of the day, incorporating some unscheduled choreography elements with Liz showing off her first go at steering down the challenging Thames course.

The Crew: Louise A, Maggie, Liz L, and Sue S.

Despite the fine weather, the gusty wind meant the water conditions were tough. They navigated the course with grit, but not without some... let's call them 'enthusiastic collisions'! Like a messy rehearsal, PTRC bumped into them but they recovered brilliantly.

In the end, their fighting spirit saw them clinch a fantastic third place! A true testament to their resilience! 'KEEEEEEP ROWING!'

💖 The Real-Life Heroics

While our rowers were channeling their inner Aljaž and Oti, a huge thank you needs to go to the true unsung heroes of the day:

• Tim for his fantastic coaching (keeping everyone in time!).

• Toby and Nick for the essential task of towing the boats to and from London (the transportation experts!).

• Putney Town Rowing Club for being brilliant hosts (and for having a boathouse with such great acoustics!).

This event was more than just a race; it was a perfect example of the club spirit shining through. From the floods in Monmouth to the fierce fun on the Thames, this team brought their A-game. They left with medals, a few scrapes, and undoubtedly, the image of that glorious disco ball burned into their retinas.

We came, we saw, we sparkled!

See you on the water.

Alex