It was unseasonably hot for the annual Shawnigan Lake School Regatta this past weekend on Shawnigan Lake. The school played host to 19 rowing clubs featuring anywhere between three and 78 rowers per club.
Cowichan’s Big Three rowing clubs: the Shawnigan Lake School club, Brentwood College School and Maple Bay Rowing Club all had crews in multiple races, making the top six in quite a few.
“The regatta was a massive success this past weekend,” noted Tim Murdy, Shawnigan Lake School’s director of athletics. “Mother nature helped out as the weather was beautiful, and the conditions on the lake were very good.”
A huge group of staff and volunteers pulled the event off without a hitch.
“I would be remiss if I did not give a special shoutout to our new head of rowing Jenn Parfitt for her leadership with the program and this very special event,” Murdy said.
On the event’s first day, a new rowing shell was christened the David Schieldrop, after the 1982 graduate who donated the eight-rower vessel.
Made up of 45 rowers, Shawnigan Lake School fared well with 18 top six spots, earning first in the U19 Women 4x-, U19 Women 2x, and U19 Lwt72 Men 1x; second in the U19 JV Women 2x, U17 Women 8+, U19 Women 1x, U19 Men 4x-, and U19 Lwt Women 1x; third in the U19 JV Men 4x-, U15 Women 4x+, and U17 Women 4x+; fourth in the U15 Men 4x+, U19 Novice Women 4x+, U19 Lwt72 Men 2x, U19 Mixed 2x, and U19 Men 2x; and fifth in the U19 JV Women 8+, and U17 JV Women 1x.
Brentwood College School’s crew of 42, who recently won their annual international regatta on their home waters of Mill Bay, had 31 top six finishes including: first in the U19 women 8+, U17 women 8+, U19 novice men 4x+, U19 JV women 8+, U19 JV women 4+, U19 Lwt63 women 4+, U19 Novice men 1x, and U19 women 4+; second in the U19 JV men 4x-, U19 men 8+, U17 men 8+, U19 women 2-, U19 men 1x, U19 Novice men 1x, U17 women 4+, and U19 men 4+; third in the U17 JV women 4+, U17 women 8+, U19 Novice women 4x+, U17 Novice men 4x+, U19 Lwt72 men 2x; fourth in the U17 JV men 4+, U19 JV men 2x, U19 women 2-, U19 men 2-, U19 women 1x, and U17 women 4+; fifth in the U17 Novice women 4x+, and U17 men 4+; and sixth in the U17 men 4x+, U19 JV men 4+.
Sending a mid-sized contingent of 20 rowers, Maple Bay Rowing Club had 14 top six finishes, placing second in the U15 men 2x, U19 JV women 8+, and U17 Novice men 2x; third in the U17 women 4+, and U19 women 4+; fourth in the U15 men 4x+, and U15 women 2x; fifth in the U17 men 8+, U19 men 4x-, U17 women 4x-, and U17 men 4x-; and sixth in the U19 women 4x-, U17 JV men 2x, and U19 men 4+.
“Sadie Wood, Ava Roe, Sierra Priekshot, Ashley Pepper and cox Amity Watt were the third-place winners of the U17 women 4+ and that crew plans to head out to St. Catherine’s, Ont. later in the summer to compete in the Royal Canadian Henley championships,” said coach Andrew Rea. “Agata Minka represented MBRC as she rowed in the Rowing BC Jr. 4+ in an exhibition race on Saturday afternoon as a race test for that crew to go and try [to] qualify for a spot on the Junior National Team to race at World Junior Championships.”
Overall, he said, it was a fun and successful weekend at the regatta.
“The weather was splendid, and the racing was great. As always, Jen Parfitt, Karla Swan and the Shawnigan Lake team put on a wonderful event and we are so fortunate to have such great racing opportunities for juniors in our own backyard,” Rae said.