The Evening Times Globe, Saint John, N.B., Monday, August 22, 1977

Kennebecasis Retains Renforth Trophy

By Ron Barry, Staff Writer

Most people would expect a major letdown from oarsmen Wayne McConnell, Dave and Mark Allen and Andy Messer after they had participated in such events as the Canadian Henley in St. Catherines, Ont. and the Canadian Championships in Montreal.

But such was not the case as the Rothesay oarsmen once again took top spot in the straight fours, receiving the James F. Renforth trophy for their win Saturday as the Renforth Regatta was blessed with fine weather and good, tough competition all through the day.

And again the Allens displayed their prowess as a pair as they swept to victory in the coxless pair.

The event, which had clubs from Kennebecasis, Fredericton, Dalhousie, Dartmouth, Quebec and Ontario participating, saw all 13 scheduled events successfully get off the ground from start to finish.

The events were in singles, pairs, doubles, straight fours, coxless fours and eights.

Keith Ratcliffe, coach of the Kennebecasis oarsmen, was justly satisfied about his club’s performance here.

"The boys did what I expected them to do and that was win the straight fours and pairs events. The girls also put up an admirable showing but they were up against some stiff competition."

"And it was no easy ride for them. They had to fight hard to pick up their victories. It certainly was no gift."

As Ratcliffe put it, "it’s not easy to come off Canadian Championships and go out there and give it your best. But they knew what they wanted and they went out and got it. I’m proud of them."

Mark Allen also expressed his views in the team’s achievements. "I’m satisfied that we won in the fours and Dave and I won in the pairs. But after coming off of national competitions, it’s really hard to give it all you got. But when you’re out there (in the water), you usually do."

The crew did have one misfortune today and that was in the fourth race of the day. In their first try all year in a four with cox race, the boys placed third and were never really in it, losing to a well stroked Ontario team from Hamilton.

But when it came to their principal races, they performed with extraordinary ease and coasted to victory.

Here are the placing in each of the 13 races as they finished:

LEGEND: Ontario (Ont), Quebec (Que), Kennebecasis (Ken), North Star (NS), Mic Mac (MM), Fredericton (Fred), Dalhousie (Dal), Brockville, Ont. (BV), Hamilton, Ont. (Ham). All races are 1,000 metres.

Race 1- Lightweight Four with Cox - 1)BV 2) MM 3) NS

Race 2 - Lightweight Singles - 1) MM 2) Dal

Race 3 - Womens Cox Four - 1) MM 2) NS 3) Dal

Race 4 - Open Cox Four - 1) Ham 2)MM 3) Ken

Race 5 - Sculling single - 1) Que 2) Ont 3) MM

Race 6 - Coxless Four - 1) Ken (Dave and Mark Allen, Wayne McConnell, Andy Messer) 2) BV 3) Fred

Race 7 - Lightweight Straight Four - 1) NS 2) Ham 3) Fred

Race 8 - Womens Straight Four - 1) NS 2) Fred 3) Ken

Race 9 - Lightweights Eights - 1) MM 2) Ont 3) NS

Race 10 - Womens Eight - 1) NS 2)Ken 3) MM

Race 11- Coxless Pairs - 1) Ken (Dave and Mark Allen) 2) Ont 3) MM

Race 12 - Lightweight Mens Eight - 1) Ont 2) MM 3) NS

Race 13 - 500 yard dash (eights) - 1) MM