1971

The Winner - Sculling race competitors stroke for the finish line, muscles bulging with the North Star No. 1 crew maintaining a boat-length lead over the English Tyne crew at the Renforth Centennial Regatta. Fans cheered them onward from shore and from boats anchored in Renforth harbor.

The re-establishment of rowing as a sport in Saint John is an important possibility according to Dr. C. H. Bonnycastle, chairman of the Renforth Regatta Committee which conducted the weekend celebration.

The regatta was a success. "We accomplished everything we said we'd accomplish," he said, speaking for the committee. He noted that had there been a bright sunny day Saturday, more people would have come from the Greater Saint John area to see the events.

"The race was a good one," be said. "A good many people saw it from the river and the roadways, and the beach."

Dr. Bonnycastle indicated that he had written to the Canadian Association for Amateur Oarsmen in Ottawa for information and advice on the re-establishment of rowing in the area.

The event which revived interest in rowing over the weekend was the memorable competition between the English Tyne crew and Canadian crews in a parallel of the historic Paris-Renforth race of 100 years ago.

The event, said Burton Guidry; vice-chairmen of the Regatta Committee, began as a re-enactment but ended as a very lively race.

Taking advantage of their closest rivals misfortune the North Star Rowing Club No. 1 from Dartmouth, N. S. captured the featured international Memorial Race.

Several thousand spectators lined the shoreline of the fog-shrouded Kennebecasis River to get a glimpse of the 100th anniversary "re-run" of the famous 1871 race and tragedy that gave the community its name.

The North Star entry and a crew from the Tyne Rowing Association of England were in close competition when the bowman of this British entry was thrown from his seat by water turbulence.

This, said Tyne number two man Ian H. Lenthall, was the decisive turning point.

The winning crew completed the 2,000 meter route a seven minutes, 36 seconds, almost two boat lengths ahead of the Tyne crew and well ahead of a second Dartmouth entry from the Mic Mac Rowing Club.

"It was a great race," commented North Star number three man, Ron McCready.

"It was nip and tuck right until they caught the water. It could have been anybody’s race until they hit that," he said.

The 27-year-old rowing enthusiast said it was difficult to say if the race would have turned out as it did, if such an incident had not occurred.

"I think we would have stayed ahead of them," he said. "It just meant that we beat them by more, that's all."

Mr. McCready said the water was "pretty rough." He said he has rowed faster times but "it was good time considering the water."

British crew member Lenthall explained what happened to cause his man to fall from the seat.

"There was a launch moving around on the course which created a rather large wash and swell. The bowman hit this and it jerked him backwards off his seat and onto a slide.

"So he missed about four or five strokes at a rather critical point when we were sprinting towards the finish line. The two crews were level then," said Mr. Lenthall.

Another apparent disadvantage was the necessity of the British crew to use a boat they weren’t familiar with.

"It was a very nice boat, but there was a slight disadvantage," he said. "We would have liked more time to practice in it, of course."

The North Star was comprised of Ralph Ward as stroke, Ron McCready, Brian Sawler and bow and steer man Dave Thomas.

Gordon Fairweather Fundy-Royal Member of parliament, presented the winning crew with the "Challenge Cup," initiated during the 50th anniversary of the original race in memory of Robert Fulton, the "stroke" of the Saint John Paris crew.

The 1871 event, which was looked at with keen interest internationally, pitted the local crew against a Tyne, England crew. James Renforth, stroke of the British entry, collapsed during the race and died shortly after. The community later was named in honor of this man.

After the presentations, Mr. Fairweather, British stroke David B. Sprague and Renforth Mayor Paul F. Keirstead unveiled a special Monument in memory of the ill-fated crew member of the past.

Prior to the feature race, the event was officially opened during ceremonies atop a specially built reviewing stand.

Mr. Fairweather congratulated the village for its "remarkable community spirit" and for those who helped make the event such a success.

He also said it was his desire that the "priceless asset," the St. John River system, be preserved for generations to come.

"It belongs to us," said the area MP. "It belongs to no single person, no single enterprise. We are entitled to its benefits. We are entitled to having this system clean and suitable for all water events."

Dr. Bonnycastle recalled the original race and the 50th anniversary when the anniversary cup was presented in memory of Robert Fulton.

He voiced pleasure that a crew from the same area of the original Tyne crew accepted the committee's invitation and participated in the race.

The famous oarsmen of the past such as the Fulton crew, the Paris crew, Hilton Belyea and many others too numerous to mention are in the history of sports. We have hopes that we can repeat this," he said.