1976

Kennebecasis Crew Takes Feature Race

The James F. Renforth Memorial Trophy has been won by the Kennebecasis Rowing Club for the second time in as many years, as a result of action at the fifth annual Renforth Regatta held in Renforth near Saint John Saturday.

The Regatta, which also included such events as swimming, track and field, yacht races and a tug-of-war competition in its program, had teams from the Ontario Rowing Association, Fredericton Rowing Club, MicMac Rowing Club of Dartmouth and the North Star Rowing Club of Dartmouth in addition to the Kennebecasis Club in its rowing competition.

And for the second year in a row, it was the Kennebecasis men's heavy straight fours entry that was able to take the lead right at the start and coast in for the victory in the feature, one of 11 races in the program. Each of the races were run over a distance of 1,000 meters on the Kennebecasis River.

The Kennebecasis entry, featuring bow man Mark Allen, second Dave Allen, third Wayne McConnell and oarsman Steve Gaunce, recorded a time of three minutes 21 seconds in the feature to place ahead of runner-up North Star Rowing Club, consisting of Scott Innes, Frank Benstead, Jeff MacRae and Tim Prince.

The Ontario representative, consisting of members of the St. Catharines, Leander of Hamilton and Brock University Rowing Clubs, placed third with the MicMac representative bringing up the rear in fourth.

It was an easy win for the Kennebecasis foursome. And it was the ease in which they did win that had Keith Ratcliffe, coach of the Kennebecasis entry, disappointed in the competition offered by the other clubs.

"It could have been a bit stiffer," Ratcliffe said following the win. "Ontario was supposed to send its provincial champion. The team that was here is different than the one they had here last year."

But he added: "But this regatta isn't taken as seriously as let's say, the Canadian Henley. (The Henley was held last weekend in St. Catharines, a competition which saw the Kennebecasis foursome place second in the finals of the heavy straight fours). This is more of an enjoyable event, an event to have some fun. The guys did exceptionally well."

It's the same Kennebecasis team, with the exception of 15-year-old Dave Allen, that captured the Renforth trophy in 1975. Andy Messer, now a member of the Canadian Youth Rowing team that'll be going to Europe later this month, was a member of the Kennebecasis unit a year ago.

In addition to the win in the straight fours, the Kennebecasis Club also had winners in the men's open pairs and men's heavy fours with cox competition.

The pair of McConnell and Gaunce recorded a time of three minutes, 36 seconds to win the open pairs. The Kennebecasis Number two team of Mark and Dave Allen was second. Ontario was third.

The Allen brothers, Gaunce, McConnell and Andre Morrison combined their efforts for a time of three minutes, 29 seconds in the men's heavy with cox competition. Ontario was second and MicMac was third.

The other events saw the MicMac club take the straight fours light men's competition in 3:15 (Kennebecasis was fourth), Ontario took the women's four with cox in 3:55, Ed Makkreel of Brock University took the open men's singles in a time of 3:55 (Kennebecasis’ Mike Chapman was third) and the Ontario team from St. Catharines take the women's straight fours in 3:57.

In the women's eight competition, the North Star club placed on top in 3:38 ahead of Kennebecasis team of Chapman, Norm DeMars, Shawn McGuire and Bruce Vallee placed second behind the MicMac club, which had a time of 3:36.

In the women's pair competition, St. Catharine's pair of Carol Barr and Carol Whipple recorded a time of 3:40 to place ahead of Fredericton and Kennebecasis who finished two-three.

The final event of the program saw the MicMac club row the 1,000 meters in 3:12 to win the men's eight event. Ontario was second and North, Star was third.

Approximately 80 rowers took part in the competition, up from just over 70 a year ago.