Pengwern Boat Club

Veteran Squad

You are here » Homepage » Veteran Squad

Vet Rowing at Pengwern

The vast majority of the Pengwern rowing fraternity are veterans but very few of them will admit it. The fact of the matter is that oars men and women become vets at the age of 31 when they are at the peak of their youthful strength and vigour. They then compete roughly within their age groups as they degenerate into old age.

Vet Novices

The only exception to this is the relatively new category of vet novice. This has been created especially to cater for late entrants to the sport who start at a disadvantage to their aged peers who may have been practising for thirty or even forty year before the new arrivals venture out on the water.

There is one notable exception to the rule that vets degenerate as they grow older and this is the renowned Pengwern Vet Eight whose members boast an average age of 60+ years (apart from the cox of course!). Many of the members of this crew have rowed together for thirty years without a cross word (or sudoku) and without improving much either.

Their notable victories have included wins without number collected at regattas during summer seasons where they have sprinted for a mere 1000 metres. However their grit and determination can be most admired in the more gruelling long distance races that take place in the depths of winter. It is on these that they have concentrated in their latter years.

They have wins at the famous Boston Marathon (a race of 31 miles) to their credit not to mention numerous wins in ‘Head’ races which generally vary between 3000 to 6000 metres in length.

Vet Training

They train formally as a crew on Sat mornings at 8am and Thurs evenings at 6pm although some of them supplement this by subbing into other crews whenever the chance arises.

 The Vet 4+

However this is not the only vet crew at Pengwern. A spry young, late forties/early fifties coxed four can be spotted boating every Sat morning at 10 am. This crew (note the distinctive veteran headgear) is expecting to attract a lot of interest as the warmer weather approaches and old bones begin to unstiffen. This coxed four will no doubt soon grow into an eight and possibly spawn a veritable summer amada.

Mixed Vets

The ladies too compete, both in their true colours as scullers, and occasionally, against their better judgement, in mixed crews with the men. These crews have been known to win locally, for instance at Worcester Regatta and Worcester Head. They even ventured on one occasion to compete at the Veteran National Championships.

They also row informally during the week and if any rower would care to join them they would be very welcome to turn up to an ‘all comers’ session at 9.30 am every Monday morning.

Powered by Golf Club Network