En route Mystic, Connecticut – Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, 26 September 2018

By Göran R Buckhorn

Leaving the Connecticut shoreline, where it right now is pouring (alerts for flooding were sent out!), to ‘sunny’ Florida’s west coast, where the forecast calls for ‘stray showers and scattered thunderstorms’ for a few days, it became a guessing game what to pack for the World Rowing Master Regatta (WRMS2018) on 27 – 30 September. As a reporter, I will hunker down at the regatta’s media centre, if necessary, while the rowing athletes will do their thing on the water – a 400-acre artificial lake, I’m told – in Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota-Bradenton.

It was in 2012, the authorities agreed to build a regatta course that would meet FISA’s requirements for international competitions. A year later, the lake was lengthened and deepened. To reduce wave actions, an island was created. The park opened officially to the public in 2014.

The year prior, Barack Obama, the President of the United States, put his support behind the bid that Sarasota County put forward to host the 2017 World Championships. As we all know, Sarasota won the bid and the regatta was a success. Now, it’s time for the veterans to have a go.

The local Herald-Tribune gives some hint what we need to know here, while our friends over at Rowperfect posted 13 good tips for racing at the master regatta at Nathan Benderson Park, or NBP, as the locals call the park, here.

This reporter will do what he can to give you glimpse of what WRMS2018 had to offer.

Watch this space and HTBS’s social media.