The Founders’ Cup winners with the founders. Left to right: Jim McDiarmid, Jonas Masys, Pip Jordan, Elena Masyte, Dirk Sigalet (photo courtesy of the VRDBC)

By Liam Verster

Lap The Lake Rowing Regatta

Vernon rowers shine, records broken at Swan Lake regatta

Jun 18, 2025 | 11:42 AM

Local rowers took home the inaugural Founders’ cup and a record was smashed at the annual Lap the Lake regatta on Swan Lake.

The Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club (VRDBC) said the event that ran on the weekend of June 14 was the largest ever, with 41 boats and 78 athletes aged 12 to 85 from B.C. and the USA racing around the triangular, 3,600 metre head course.

Vernon siblings and VRDBC alumni, Elena Masyte and Jonas Masys took home the gold in the Mixed Doubles race with an adjusted time of 12:27:64, earning them the inaugural Founders’ Cup.

The Mixed Quad team from Fort Langley, made up of Juliet and Naomi Fandrich and Brayden and Connor Davis, broke their own 2024 course record to set a new one, with a time of 14:21:05.

Vernon athletes also performed very well on their home lake.

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The local Adaptive Men’s Double of Kobe Funk and Riley Brinnen, the Men’s Single racer Cole O’Connor, the Men’s Double team of Leo Middelkamp and Peters Masys, and the Women’s Double squad of Sierra Munroe and Aida Mills, all had the fastest class finishes in the regatta as well.

The VRDBC said the event wrapped up with Rowing B.C. Director of Performance and Olympic Gold medalist, Terry Paul, organizing a hands-on boat rigging workshop, adding the Sunday crews also had a chance to participate in the Rowing B.C. U23 and masters development camp.