The composite Fort Langley, UVic and McGill crew, coxed by Leo Middelkamp of Vernon, coached on Swan Lake by Terry Paul (in the background) (Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club photo)

By Vernon Matters Staff

Vernon regatta

Rowers from across province race on Swan Lake

Jun 25, 2024 | 6:30 PM

The weather wasn’t perfect, but the Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club hosted a successful annual Lap the Lake rowing regatta on Swan Lake.

Eleven clubs, 26 boats and 54 athletes participated in the two-part event held during rainy conditions on June 15.

The morning head race featured an interval start on a triangular 3.3-kilometre course, where boats crossed the lake twice before heading up the last kilometer to the finish. Some impressive results were recorded, including the composite mixed quad crew of Naomi Fandrich (McGill University), Connor Davis (University of Victoria), Brayden Davis, and Juliet Fandrich (both Fort Langley) that finished with the fastest time and a course record of 14:28.

Connor and Brayden Davis, Juliette and Naomi Fandrich: the new Lap the Lake course record holders with their Golden Oar medals. (Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club photo)

The Vernon sibling team of Elena and Jonas Masys wasn’t far behind in the mixed double, with a time of 14:44. Elena, a member of the UVic Vikes women’s rowing team, returned home for the weekend to race and to take on the role of Dock Master, directing the launching and docking of boats. Her brother, Jonas, racing on very little sleep after grad celebrations, will join the crew at Brock University in September. The duo also won the title in the handicapped race, where raw times were adjusted by boat type, gender and age.

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Other notable results from Vernon rowers included the sister duo of Annika and Cora Van Vliet in the women’s double. Annika, also a member of the Vikes women’s team at UVic, and her sister, finished with a strong time of 16:45. Their sister, Louisa, raced in the junior women’s quad with teammates Kate Green, Autumn Prediger, and Amy Milne, finishing in 17:07.

Leo Middelkamp and Peter Masys secured first place in the junior men’s double with a time of 16:44, and Cole O’Connor won the junior men’s single with a time of 17:14. Another junior men’s double from Vernon, Ryland Holmgren and Simon Pyefinch, scored a second place in their category. A third Vernon Vike, UVic alumna Leah Volkers, won the open women’s single race with a time 16:59.

Neve Rawson from Nelson finished first in the junior women’s category with a time of 18:49, and a former Oxford rower Richard Fergie from Terrace won the open men’s single race, crossing the line in 16:15.

Lars Taylor from Vernon competed in the men’s adaptive single, marking his first row of the season, and a composite crew from Shuswap and Vernon took on the challenge of racing an octet, an eight-rowing shell rigged for sculling.

The afternoon sprint races were at risk of being cancelled as the wind picked up, but with some adjustments to the scheduling, organizers managed to complete five events before wrapping up at 1 p.m.

With a strong tailwind, some sizzling fast times were posted in the 500-meter sprints, starting with a men’s singles race where each boat finished just one second apart. The fun sprint races included a men’s double, mixed double, quad race, and women’s double, with participation from clubs in Fort Langley, Kamloops, Nelson, Nicomekl Rowing Club from Surrey, the Rockies Rowing Club in Cranbrook, and Shuswap.

The event was followed by a development camp for U23 and Master rowers, led by Rowing BC Director of Performance and an Olympic gold medalist, Terry Paul.

by Vernon Matters Staff

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