Boat comes in for Port Alfred

Rowing event a huge success

Two thrilling finals in the RMB Universities’ Boat Race and a prizegiving to remember crowned three days of hard rowing and serious fun last weekend. The prize for Port Alfred was an event that confirmed the town’s reputation as a safe, fun destination.

Following a two-year break due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the boat race returned to the Kowie River last weekend.

This year’s festival was hosted by Rhodes University under the joint custodianship of two Round Table clubs, Round Table Port Alfred 177 and Round Table Alex/Kenton 210.

The service organisation’s history with the event goes back to 2019 when the festival was last held and they were roped in at the 11th hour to save it.

“Before 2019, it was arranged by an events company from outside Port Alfred, said Round Table chair JP de Klerk.

“In 2019, catastrophic planning failures resulted in the near-total collapse of the event.

“Having little to work with and no time to work in, Round Table managed to host it safely, securely and profitably,” he said.

That’s now water under the bridge and from Thursday to Saturday last week, university rowing clubs from across SA provided a thrilling sight as they tested their mettle on the Kowie.

Port Alfred Business Forum chair Clinton Millard confirmed the historic regatta’s importance to the town.

“We see a massive injection of income coming into the town for the three days that they ’ re here. Accommodation is full, the shops are well looked after and it gives the opportunity for service organisations to host events where they raise money for charity,” Millard said.

“It’s great to see and it’s definitely something that we want to see more of coming through.”

That income, according to De Klerk, is in the region of R3m spent in Ndlambe. He said all the profits generated at the event were used to promote Round Table’s aims to continue helping various projects, as well as donating to the community within the Ndlambe area.

“It is our aim, among others, to develop and support the communities in which we live,” he said.

Breaking down the numbers, De Klerk said the set-up costs of the event were between R200,000 and R250,000.

“Ninety percent of this money is spent within the Ndlambe area,” De Klerk said.

The only money spent that would be leaving the town was on some celebrity DJs, a tent supplier from Makhanda and a Gqeberha company specialising in a unique on-tap product for the customers at the event. “Everything else is local.” De Klerk said in the past, all infrastructure, stock and money spent had been taken out of area.

“All profits made were taken out of the area. That is not what this town needs.”

With the rowers in town a full week or more before the races, and some teams coming down over weekends ahead of the event, JP shared the following estimate of the financial benefits to the town.

● Accommodation: R600,000 – R800,000 ( 300 rowers, partners and staff; around 500 parents; and 2,000 supporters each spending an average of R100 per person per night);

● Fuel sales: R250,000 (almost every car leaving Ndlambe will need to be filled up again, as well as the boats used by the teams prior to the race and the boats used during the race);

● Shops and restaurants: R2m (supermarkets, chemists, liquor stores, repairs, restaurants and at the festival).

“That’s an estimated R3m spent in Ndlambe for the rowing event and Boat Race Festival,” De Klerk said.

Asked what the highlight of the event was, De Klerk said there were many.

“The business partnerships we have created with the various sponsors and partners; receiving numerous compliments about people in our community; and the fact that students and spectators could come together in a safe environment and enjoy themselves,” he said.

Round Table thanked the town and the residents who tolerated the loud music over the two nights.

“It’s a little discomfort for all, but worth it knowing everyone was kept safe and looked after.”

Nine universities took part in the A,B and C divisions and the University of Pretoria beat the University of Cape Town by one length over the 6km course in the men’s A division.

The thrilling men’s and women’s finals on Saturday afternoon saw the University of Pretoria (Tuks) and the University of Cape Town battling it out.

Men’s winners were Tuks in 17:40.51 and the Tuks women’s team won in 14:36.44.

Locals Rhodes A men and women finished fourth overall, with the University of Johannesburg getting a threeminute lead on the women, and one minute on the men. Visit Talk of the Town’s website for a photo gallery and full results.