The first few weeks of July have seen swimmers from Stroud Masters compete in a number of open water competitions. The 1st July marked the ASA South West Region Open Water Championships at Bradley Stoke where a small team of swimmers tackled the 5km race without the aid of wetsuits. With the water at 17.5 degrees, a gusty wind, limited visibility and ten laps of the course to complete, it was a challenging event.

Stroud Masters swimmers recently travelled to Riccione in Italy to compete in the 2012 World Masters Swimming Championships, an event which provides an opportunity for masters swimmers (aged 25+) from around the world to compete against each other at the highest possible level. Riccione proved to be the ideal location for this year's championships with superb hotel, restaurant and sports facilities, all supported by a warm welcome and very sunny weather.

The Human Race 3km Open Water race at Dorney boating lake near Eton was the venue for the first Stroud Masters SC open water competition of the year. Mark Partridge, Jessica Wooddisse, Lorraine Savagar, Sean Kinsey On a very hot and sunny day, the water temperature was just sufficiently warm enough to swim without wetsuits but on this occasion, as it was the first race of the season, everyone in the team elected to swim in wetsuits.

Mark and Jessica competed in the National Long Course Championships. Swimmer Event Time Position Jessica 1500m Freestyle 18.58.37 1st 400m Freestyle 4.52.58 1st 400m IM 5.47.24 2nd 800m Freestyle 9.58.91 1st Mark 50m Backstroke 34.48 6th 100m Breaststroke 1.18.65 4th 400m Freestyle 5.17.52 7th 50m Butterfly 30.

A team of eleven Stroud Masters swimmers travelled the short distance to GL1 in Gloucester to compete in the annual open meet held by Gloucester Masters SC. Rear: Lewis Saunders, Jo Green, Geoff Twinning, William Lee, Mark Partridge, Scott Nelson Front: Lorraine Savagar, Jessica Wooddisse, Elaine Lewis, Kerrie Aldridge A team of eleven Stroud Masters swimmers travelled the short distance to GL1 in Gloucester to compete in the annual open meet held by Gloucester Masters SC.

A team of Stroud Masters traveled to Millfield School to compete in the annual Royal Navy Masters gala. Richard Searle, Jessica Wooddisse, Mark Partridge, Lorraine Savagar, William Lee Competing in the most competitive age group William Lee selected a range of five events to contest with a well deserved highest placing of 4th. The men's 100m butterfly provided a personal best time and silver medal for Mark Partridge who won two further silver medals and a bronze.

Stroud Masters swimmers headed to South Wales recently to take part in the Welsh Masters Mark Partridge, Jessica Woodisse, Greg Clements, Lewis Saunders Swimming Championships held at the 50m pool in Swansea. On a weekend when most in South Wales were hoping that the Welsh Rugby team would bring home the Six Nations Championship, the four swimmers from the Club were hoping to put in an equally good performance in the pool and bring back as many top three finishes as possible to Stroud.

Four Stroud Masters swimmers made the journey to Bracknell to compete in the annual open meet hosted by Bracknell Masters. Back: Richard Searle Front: Lorraine Savagar, Jessica Wooddisse, Mark Partridge First into the water was Lorraine Savagar who recently moved up into a new age group. She gained a silver medal in the 200 freestyle and two personal best times throughout the day. Mark Partridge chose to contest two freestyle and two breaststroke events and gained a full set of medals taking away a gold, a silver, a bronze and a fourth place.

At the end of January, a small team from Stroud Masters Swimming Club travelled to Crawley to swim in the South East Regional Masters Swimming Championships. Mark Partridge, Geoff Twinning, Jessica Wooddisse The two day event attracted many of the best swimmers in the region with all events swum long course in the 50m pool. Jessica Wooddisse had a great competition recording personal best times in all of her six events, winning gold medals in two, as well gaining a silver and bronze medal in other events.

Stroud Masters swimmers kicked off 2012 with a busy weekend of competition. Stroud Masters at Shrewsbury 2012 On Saturday the 7th January a team of six travelled to compete at the Shrewsbury Masters New Year Gala. Unlike the majority of competitions, swimmers could only enter one event in each of the four strokes from a choice of three distances and also an individual medley. Swimmers gained points for each event which were added together and resulted in an overall age group placing.