Maple Bay Regatta – Wins All Around!

20 April 2023Dara M, Alexandra ‘25

On Saturday, April 15th, Brentwood’s rowing team set off at 6am for the Maple Bay Regatta. With rowers from all over the Island, coaches and athletes were able to rejoice with friends from different clubs. In the brisk morning air, many hands were able to quickly deload and rig the boats to get ready for action.

Kicking off the day was the U19 Women’s Single, with Sam K and Felicity B starting off strong by both making it to A finals. With clouded skies and the low temperatures, the rowers’ ultimate wish was fulfilled: the water was flat!

Though we faced the unpredictable spring weather in British Columbia during practices leading up to the regatta, we took advantage of every chance the water was rowable. Whether that meant early morning practices or erg training when the water was rough, the dedication and resilience shown truly shows in the results on Regatta day. Mr Brian Carr, Junior Girls Coach, explains, “Since you are working at 90 to 95 percent of your capacity for around seven minutes, rowing is a sport that requires dedication and hard work to be put in. I am very proud of the Junior Girls and the program as a whole on how they executed their race plans this weekend.”

The competitiveness of the sport brings people together to learn and improve as they rejoice in their wins. Sienna G, Alex ‘25 observes, “Regattas let you see a different side of people. Everybody is their true self.” With everybody striving for the ultimate gold medal, the team is brought together in the mutual goal and strong friendships are made throughout this process. Sloane S, Alex ‘25, enthuses, “The best part isn’t winning, it’s being able to race with your friends and having the experience together.”

With the Brentwood Regatta coming up on the 28th-30th of April, Maple Bay was the perfect opportunity to have a “dress rehearsal for the Brentwood Regatta” as Mr Carr says, and get back into the racing mentality.

Brentwood finished with six wins, eight seconds and two thirds to come to a total of 16 podium finishes. Novella R, Hope ‘25, winner of both her races, spoke about her experience: “I raced in the 2- and 4+ and I am very happy with my results. The girls have worked so hard this season and it really paid off. I am so excited to see how the rest of the season rolls out.”

The final race of the day, U19 Women’s Four, was a beautiful sight to see: Brentwood was in the lead with Anika E, Chloe H, Anya P and Novella R. Following not far behind was the U17 crew of Veronica L, Helena K, Rowan VD and Megan C.

As Ms Manton says from underneath her 10 gallon cowboy hat, “Yeehaw rowers.”

Dara M, Alexandra ‘25

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