The Nicomekl Rowing Club’s signature event – the Head of the Nicomekl Regatta – returned last weekend after a one-year absence, and did so in a big way.
Despite COVID-19 travel restrictions keeping many people at home, especially U.S.-based competitors, the event was still the second largest regatta in the 26-year history, according to Nicomekl club coach Derek Pattison. In total, 108 entries – and 215 rowers in total – took part in the one-day event, which was held in the Crescent Beach area Saturday.
Fourteen different rowing clubs, from the Lower Mainland, the B.C. Interior and Vancouver Island, were at the start line near the Elgin dam; the course is about six kilometres long and ended near the Crescent Beach pier.
The overall winner of the Trophy Race – in which boats of all sizes and rowers of all ages and genders compete against one another, with results handicapped depending on those factors – was the mixed doubles pair of Lisa Simpson and Jim Norris from the Delta Tideway Scullers Rowing Club.
The host Nicomekl club entered 11 boats in the competition, with a handful landing on the podium, Pattison noted.
The mixed foursome of Louise Marchand, William Wu, Harsha Galgewela and Nathalie LaRoche won gold; Chris Barth won silver in the best novice crew race; Tracy Corbett won bronze in the women’s singles competition and Jennifer Adam and Tessa Coutu capture bronze in their best novice crew race.
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