Lamb’s Rum, M5 row to title in Placentia

Lamb’s Rum won the men’s championship by a wide margin, while M5 took the women’s title in a much closer race at the 54th annual Placentia Regatta, held Saturday at Southwest Arm.

In the men’s final, Lamb’s Rum posted a winning time of nine minutes and 46.91 seconds, outdistancing second-place Carroll Investments (10:29), a masters men’s crew, by more than 43 seconds.

It was the second emphatic win of the day for Lamb’s Rum, which had won the first race of Saturday’s schedule — the men’s amateur — by more than 65 seconds.

Wade’s Excavating (10:36.75) and Universal Corporate Wear (11:39.56) were third and fourth in the men’s final.

In the women’s championship, M5’s time of 5:23.90 put the crew 8.32 seconds ahead of runner-up Dawn & Burke.

Steers Insurance (5:39.28) and India Gate (6:06.69) were third and fourth in the championship dash.

In a way, it was the Placentia title M5 was expected to win in 2016, when it had the fastest female time of the day, but didn’t participate in the championship race after stroke oar Katie Wadden suffered an injury and there wasn’t an available spare.

M5 is also the defending champion of the Royal St. John’s Regatta and, two weeks ago, had the fastest clocking in the time trials for that event. Dawn & Burke was sixth fastest in the time trials.

Defending St. John’s regatta men’s champion Outer Cove, which was fastest in the 2017 time trials at Quidi Vidi, did not row in Placentia, where it had won last year. Also not rowing Saturday was St. John’s men’s time trial runner-up Smith Stockley.

The next event in the local fixed-rowing season will be the 155th Harbour Grace Regatta, set for Lady Lake next Saturday.

The Royal St. John’s Regatta is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Quidi Vidi Lake.