August 26^th,1996

125 years later, the Great Race rematch sees a plucky Kennebecasis crew out row tenacious Tyneside rivals all over again.

By: GLENN ALLEN and ANDREA ASTER

In Renforth for The Telegraph Journal

Host rowers, front to back, Ed Winchester, Sean Moore (obscured), Chris Flood, and Wayne Macfarlane ply the Kennebecasis Saturday.

The jubilant home squad of, from left, Mr. Winchester, Mr. Moore, Mr. Flood and Mr. Macfarlane, with the Renforth Cup.

The Tyneside crew of, from left, David Heartsbourne, Brian Nutall, Al Johnston, and Brad Hardwich show the colours.

Thousands jammed the shoreline for the Great Race rematch.

After 125 years, the moment had arrived.

From boat decks, wharves and all along the shore, spectators craned to catch a glimpse of the rival oarsmen as the sun set over the Kennebecasis River near Renforth

It was a scene first played out in 1871: A long stretch of Kennebecasis river, two teams of rowers wanting to win big, tense crowd eager to witness a piece of history.

The original Great Race pitted the so-called Canadian Paris Crew against a Tyneside four led by legendary sculler James Renforth, namesake of this town on Saint John’s eastern periphery.

Their rivalry was intense: The Paris Crew scored a stunning win at the 1867 World Championships, were dethroned by Mr. Renforth’s powerful four in 1870, and challenge the British to a rematch on the Kennebecasis on Aug.23, 1871. The New Brunswickers’ triumph - and Mr. Renforth’s mid-race collapse and later death - made the Great Race the stuff of legends.

That legend came to life again this week in a week-long celebration that included chowder feeds, an auction, walks, gymnastics demonstrations and an antique car show. Said a beaming Renforth Mayor Terry Kilfoil: "This is the biggest celebration we’ve had in a long time.’

It all led up to Saturday’s Regatta 125: An Anniversary of Victory, a chance for modern Kennebecasis and Tyneside crews - brought here at organizer’s expense - to resume their rowing rivalry.

The gun went at 7:45 p.m., and the Kennebecasis Rowing and Canoe Club team jumped to an early lead. That lead was challenged many times over 6,000 metres but the smaller, lighter host crew never gave it up, making especially quick time on the three turns to finish in an astonishingly quick 22 minutes and 10 seconds, just three seconds and barely a couple of boat lengths ahead of Newcastle-on-Tyne.

"We got the lead and our race plan fit us to a T," said Chris Flood, third seat for the winning crew.

"It’s better to be looking back at them than to be looking ahead though they took a pretty scary run at us a couple of times."

Mr. Flood, who flew in from Yellowknife Friday night to join teammates Wayne MacFarlane (bow), Ed Winchester (stroke) and Sean Moore (second seat), called the race, "a real burn. You’re hurting all the way.".

"We gave it out best and it was a good hard race," said Al Johnstone, 32, second seat for the large, heavier Newcastle crew, who raced in a scull borrowed from the Fredericton Boating Club. "They got us on the turns and then we reeled them in a bit on the straightaway. We just didn’t quite make it."

After the race, his teammates David Heartsbourne (bow), Brian Nutall (third seat) and Brad Hardwich (stroke) were tired, but not crushed.

Both teams collected themselves after the gruelling race and wormed their way through the crowd.

The British team drained cans of cream soda and muttered and nodded with each other. Then they climbed the main stage and watched with poise as Greg Zed, chairman of the regatta, hosted the closing ceremonies.

"This is the exuberating conclusion of 15 months of work," said Mr. Zed earlier, his face painted for the day: One cheek bearing the Union Jack, the other the maple leaf.

"It went off without a hitch," the boater-sporting organizer told the crowd. "I’m speechless - the spirit, the community, the history here - it was just fantastic."

Arthur Irving, one of the event’s major sponsors, then presented the Irving Oil silver trophy to the winning Kennebecasis four.

"The hype around this, the fact the team came all the way from England shows just how crazy and obsessed rowers can be," said Alison Korn, Olympic silver medalist for womens’ eight rowing.

Ms. Korn also competed and placed third in the women’s singles sculls head race, one of three other races run earlier in the evening.

It wasn’t until the first demonstration race at 6 p.m. that a skimpy crowd began to grow. Organizers said it eventually reached 15,000, counting all the people watching from boats, docks and rocks along the way, though other onlookers’ estimates were considerably lower.

Some people had complained they couldn’t tell which team was which as they glided almost out of view, forming identical black shadows against the subtle glare of the setting sun.

"I don’t know anything about rowing but I just transports you, takes you right up," said Cora Higgins, after the race, watching from the shore.

Edward Curran, 89, or Arcadia, Calif., remembers as a young Saint Johner how he cycled out to see a similar great race revival on the 50th anniversary of the Paris Crew’s 1871 triumph.

"This is just a great day," said Mr. Curran, who left for the U.S. in 1950. "It’s wonderful. And the place has changed so much."

Some people had even set up their tripods right in the water to get clear pictures without any spectator interference.

"The geese were going, the sun was setting, there were 15,000 people there," said spectator Dana Sanderson at the wrap-up corn boil following the race.

"What better entertainment could there be?"