1981

Royal Canadian Henley

ST. CATHARINES, Ont.- Brian and Henry Flood of the Kennebecasis Rowing Club won the pairs event here Thursday at the 99th Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, edging a crew from the Toronto Argonauts Rowing Club by a boat length.

The Kennebecasis fours crew of the Flood brothers, John Allen and Rick Cassidy won its 1,000-metre elimination heat to qualify for the final today.

"The fours race is always popular and there should be some strong competition in it," said KRC president Humphrey Bonnycastle. "I'm surprised the Flood brothers won the pairs. They didn't do that well at the Canadian championships and now they've redeemed themselves."

Maureen Flood and Cathy Webb will race today in the women's pairs final.

The Kennebecasis women's fours finished fifth in Thursday's final. That crew consisted of Webb, Denise Poirier, Flood, coxswain Cathy Wallace and Carla Vandenberg, rowing for the absent Carolyn Demers.

The human interest story of the day was of two young women who have the same name and same goal, but only one of them can win.

Sandra Kirby, a physical education instructor at the University of Victoria, and Sandra Rourke, who travelled all the way from Sydney, Australia, to compete in the 99th Royal-Canadian Henley Regatta this week, both qualified Thursday for the lightweight single sculls final today.

They might live in different parts of the world, but the two have created an intense rivalry.

"We're out to do each other in," said Rourke. "She knows it and I know it. "We're nice to each other but once we get on the water-"

Kirby, 31, will be shooting for her third consecutive gold Henley medal in the event. The first two victories came in the colors of Laval University, where Kirby gained her degree.

Rourke, 28 was the runner-up last year. Although she has come close, she has never beaten Kirby - a triple-gold winner at the United States Nationals in San Diego in June whose wealth of sculling experience began in 1976 when she sat in the stroke's seat of the Canadian Olympic quadruple sculls entry.

Kirby won her heat comfortably, crossing the finish line four minutes and 3.84 seconds on a calm day that provided ideal conditions.

"I went out fairly well for the first 300 metres, passed the only person ahead of me and just maintained my distance from her," said Kirby, adding that she'll be aiming to finish below four minutes in the final. "I'm looking forward to a good row tomorrow."

Rourke was second in her heat but that appeared intentional. The Australian eased off noticably during the final 20 strokes and Margaret Armstrong of the South Niagara Rowing Club won by one-half length in 4:08.31. Rourke's strategy obviously was based on her desire to gain the preferred No. 2 lane - which has more of a current than other lanes in the final. By finishing second in her heat, Rourke races in the No. 2 slot today.

With three to qualify from each of two heats, Johanne Mainville of Boucherville, Que., Barb Stickney of Dartmouth, N.S., and Robin Flynn of Philadelphia also made it to the final.

The second day of the five-day regatta, which has drawn 1,200 athletes from 90 clubs, also featured an impressive row by the U.S. national women's camp lightweight eight from Minneapolis.

Rowing in a revolutionary carbon reinforced glass fibre shell, the elite crew posted an impressive time of 3:16.02 for the 1,000 metres in placing two lengths of open water between itself and a St. Catharines R.C. crew at the finish line.

Rachel Snow, who paces the eight from the stroke seat,wasn't as awed as the crowd in the grandstand.

"It's not good enough," said Snow when asked what she thought of the winning time.

Snow, from Mt. Desert Island, Me., held the crew at a steady 35-strokes-a-minute clip throughout the race.

"It's light and runs out of the water fantastically," she said of the shell, one of a kind here this week. "You have to row well technically to put it to advantage and when you do it moves beautifully."

There were three heats in the women's doubles, with two to qualify from each, and the best time (3:40.98) was posted by the Dons Rowing Club of Mississauga, Ont.