New boats sparked excitement in ’62
The introduction of new, improved race boats at the 1962 Regatta caused a great deal of excitement in the days leading up to Regatta Day. The Kelowna Boats had turned out to be a disappointment and Newfoundland-born Richard Simms, then living in Toronto, was commissioned to build replacements.
The Regatta Committee had debated the desirability of replacing the Kelownas for two years and in 1960 made the final decision to proceed with the move. They contacted Simms who agreed to build the new shells at a cost of $2,000 each, $300 each more than the Kelownas. The Kelowna Boats, built in British Columbia, replaced the Salter Boats in 1953. The Salter’s had been built in England in time for the 1948 Regatta.
Simms planned on developing a faster race boat by designing each one based on the design of Bob Sexton’s famous Blue Peter. In January 1961, Simms came to St. John’s and visited the CLB Armory where the Blue Peter was on display. He studied its design carefully and then carried out a similar examination of the Kelowna Boats.
Simms took his research a step farther by examining the Salter Shells which were being used for practice.
When completed, he concluded that he would correct all the faults he had noticed in, “… the present boats and provide a really good racing shell.” Expectations were high that the Regatta was about to return to the fast boats built by Sexton early in the century.
A major celebration at lakeside marked the christening of Simms’ new boats. The 166th Field Regiment provided music for the event, over 5,000 people attended and a reception was held in the Higgins Memorial Pavilion.
The boats were christened as follows — Royalist, Blue Peter, Miss India and Miss CJON.
The ceremony was followed by an exhibition race with all four new shells competing which was won by the Summer’s Crew.
The Simms Boats were not delivered on the scheduled date and forced a rescheduling of the Regatta.
When they arrived just a few days prior to the rescheduled Regatta Day, it caused a dispute between the rowers and the Regatta Committee.
The crews wanted another delay in the Regatta so that they could have more time to practice and acquaint themselves with the new shells. The Committee, feeling the brunt of public discontent over the existing delay, decided that the races would go ahead on schedule.
Over 200 rowers signed the petition which asked for a delay of another week.
Committee President Bernard Collins told the press that the Committee had no choice but to refuse the petition, “… in fairness to the public and those concerned with the affair. We have no other decision but to go ahead as planned.”
Like the Kelownas and Salters before them, the Simms shells had problems from the beginning. After the christening of the shells, the oarlocks had to be replaced, footstraps changed and adjustments had to be made to the tillers.
A rare occurrence took place at the ’62 Regatta. It was the participation of a crew from Kilbride made up of six brothers. The crew included the Stanley brothers, Gerry, Charlie, Doug, Jim, Albert and Winston. Albert Joy was cox. The Stanley’s ranged in age from 20 to 32.
The most powerful stroke in that year’s races was Art Power, rowing for the Hospital for Mental and Nervous Diseases, winners of the Club Race.
Sports writers described Power as being so powerful that he practically lifts the boat out of the waters.
In 1962, Levi ‘Shotty’ Rogers had already become a legendary figure at the Regatta. He marked his 52nd year on the pond that year and topped the day by piloting the Summers Crew to its fourth consecutive championship win.
The crew had been trailing by almost two boat-lengths going down the pond, but moved rapidly ahead after turning the buoys. They recorded the time of 10:01 2/5, which was the best time of the day.
The win gave Shotty his 25th championship victory.
At the end of the day, the Summers crew was delighted with the new Simms boat, which weighed 450 pounds and measured 50 feet long.
The members of the Summers Crew in 1962 included cox Shotty Rogers, stroke Gerry Lewis, John Kelly, Eric Field, Bill Escott, Harold Kelly and Les Field.
There was a Police-Firemen’s Race at the 1962 Regatta with the Local Police crew winning in the time of 10:37.
The crew included cox Pat Ring, stroke Fred Wicks, Ray Greene, Gerald Feehan, Kevin Barnes, Derek Biggins and Frank Hiscock.