Regatta moved from four- to six-oared races

Four-

oared races dominated the original Regattas at Quidi Vidi Lake. In the first verifiable Regatta Day to take place at the lake, in 1826, three of the four races scheduled were four-oared competitions. Two of these were restricted to boats not exceeding 21 feet in length, which were less than half the size of today’s race shells. The third four-oared race was open to boats of any length. The first race of the day was the only six-oared competition. Four-oared contests dominated the Regatta for many decades.

The 1826 Regatta got underway at exactly 1:47 pm. Tom Brookings’ crew, rowing in Gallishaw’s boat, won first place in the time of 15 minutes. Brookings also rowed in his own boat, the Worcester, in this first four-oared-race of the day, which got underway at 2:15 pm. The time recorded was 18 minutes.

Description of boats

The four-oared boats were described in the Mercantile Journal as, “Very frail boats with outriggers. No coxes were used in these boats and they were very well balanced. Only three rowing matches were held (at the 1829 Regatta) and all three were four oared boats.”

The first Regattas were held intermittently between 1826 and 1860 due to strong opposition mainly from Temperance and Women’s groups. In the 34-year period between 1826 and 1860 when the first Regattas collapsed, only 23 Regattas took place.

Six-oared races gain in popularity

In 1871, the Regatta was revived and in the first years was again dominated by four-oared races.

It is interesting to note that when C.F. Ellis, a Regatta president in the 1930s, was asked the starting date of the Regatta, he answered 1871. Since 1871, the Regatta has been cancelled only due to war or disaster. The Committee of 1871 followed the same style of the old-time Regattas. They resumed the tradition of a two-day-program with rowing matches at Quidi Vidi on the first day and sailing matches on St. John’s Harbour on the second day. Most of the rowing competitions, at first, were four-oared races but this soon changed.

Six-oared boats were proving to be popular. In 1877, nine rowing competitions made up the program which included only three fouroared races. However, the fouroared tradition continued until the end of the century. The annual program included from nine to 15 races and, usually, four of these were fouroared competitions.

All-time four-oared record

The Outer Cove crew had set the record for the four-oared races rowing in the Myrtle in the 1890 Regatta when they recorded the time of 10 minutes.

In 1893, Outer Cove, again rowing in the Myrtle, retained their four-oared laurels by winning the Fishermen’s Race and setting a new record of 9:56.

The Evening Herald reported, “This crew did splendid work yesterday, winning both set races ( fishermen), the Governor’s Cup and the ( five-pound Sterling) prize money donated by Commodore CurzonHowe awarded for the best time of the day.”

Sexton’s glance changed Regatta

In 1900, the four-oared boats were dropped from the Regatta program and the sleeker, faster, six-oared boats became exclusive.

It began with the Glance, which experts in 1895 described as, “The fastest boat that ever sat on the waters of Quidi Vidi.”

With faster boats, gambling at lakeside increased. Stopwatches, notebooks, boulder hats, white dresses and ladies’ flowered bonnets were visible everywhere at the Regatta.

When the gun fired and the boats were off, the fair sex kept in the background while their brothers, beaus, and fathers rushed down the embankment to get a good view of the race.

In the background was Professor David Bennett’s brass band playing ‘Up the Pond’.

Four-oared boats came to the rescue

In the early 1930s, interest in the Regatta was falling off. Times were hard and poverty widespread. The world was in a depression, the Newfoundland government was approaching bankruptcy and the Regatta was near total collapse.

The Regatta Committee undertook major restructuring which saved the Regatta, put it on a sound financial basis and achieved outstanding improvements.

One of several major changes made was the revival the 19th century four-oared boat races.

Jim Clancy, a long time secretary of the committee, in 1955 reasoned: “If there were to be four-oared races, there should be four-oared boats with each having a cox. It was not logical to have four-oared races in six-oared boats.

“Through the generosity of the Royal Stores, Bowring Brothers, Newfoundland Butter Co., and Ayre & Sons, Bob Sexton was employed to build four new four-oared boats. These were named: Royalist, Red Cross, Buttercup and Freedom.”

Old tradition

Sexton built the new four-oared boats at the Lawrence (Nfld.) Company on Gower Street.

Their launching was cause for celebration, and following a long established Regatta tradition, a parade took place. The Newfoundland Mounted Police led the parade and the Mount Cashel Band followed. Longshoremen, led by their President, Mike Coady, carried the boats on their shoulders. When these boats were being tested on the lake, the band added to the atmosphere by playing Up the pond.

Fans liked the change

When the new committee took control of the Regatta, the six-oared boats in the Blue Peter Boat House were moved to the Star of the Sea Boathouse and the committeeowned boathouse sheltered the four-oared boats.

The Boat Clubs supported the changes and helped generate enthusiasm among the rowers.

This resulted in a record number of entries. Fans took special interest, especially the many gamblers, because it was the first time in decades that the outcome of every race on the program was in doubt.