The oldest annual sports event on the continent will take place Wednesday in Canada’s Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, (weather permitting).
The Royal St. John’s Regatta is officially 201 years old, but is likely even older than that with proof of 1816 races, with the likelihood races were held going back much further.
The only breaks have been during the two World Wars.
The shells are as identical as possible. They are fixed-seat, 6-person rowers with a coxswain. (CBC Sports)
The races involve six-seat, fixed-seat, coxswained racing shells on Quidi Vidi lake (pond) in St. John’s and annually attract about 50,000 to view the event and enjoy a variety of entertainment, and literally hundreds of booths offering food, drink, games, and items for sale.
Unlike to the 2-kilometre Olympic races along a straight course, the men’s teams row up the lake, have to make a tricky turn around buoys and then race back to the start for a distance of 2.4 kilometres. Women’s teams row a shorter course up the pond to a turning point buoy and back to the start for a distance of 1.2km. Many races are won or lost at the turning.
199th regatta. Women have enthusiastically taken up the sport to the point where women outnumber the men. (Ryan Cooke CBC)
Weather permitting, the event is held on the first Wednesday in August and “Regatta Day” is a civic holiday. Bad weather means the races will be held on the next suitable day.
Officials meet in secret starting at 05.30 on Wednesday morning to decide if the race is a go, or if it will be postponed.
The rowing may be the feature attraction, many come outing races are the main focus of the holiday, many people come out for the food, games and atmosphere around the lake. (CBC)
More and more women have taken up the rowing challenge, to the point where they now outnumber the men.
The regatta, including festivities the night before, has developed into a major social event attracting people from the city, around the island, and from outside the province as well.
Additional information-sources
- Royal St John’s Regatta: website
- CBC Sports:M McCabe: Aug 1/19: 200th regatta
- CBC: P Butler: Aug 6/19: Family affair- 6th generation rower
- Globe and Mail: J Leeder: Jul 30/18: Regatta holiday depends on which way the wind blows
- Royal St. John’s Regatta: slide show-historic
- Western Star: T Bradbury: Aug 6/19: Rowing champ brothers
- The Telegram: R Mullaley: Aug 6/19: Regatta eve gains popularity
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