Salt Spring Island increased its rowing sport profile recently when it hosted an exciting Race Around the Rock Coastal Endurance Regatta.
According to organizing committee chair Zoë Clarke, the regatta saw 61 participants from eight rowing clubs row all the way around Salt Spring Island — a total of 88 kilometres — on Aug. 25, with both quads and doubles hitting the water. Rowers began at Drummond Park in Fulford Harbour, travelling up the west side of the island and back to Fulford Harbour.
Rowing club registrants came from more than 10 countries, said Clarke, but rowed for the U.S., False Creek, Gorge Narrows, Edmonton, Open Aviron Coastal Rowing Association (Victoria) and Salt Spring Island clubs.
Clarke said two quads featured LGBTQIA+ athletes, one was an all-female quad and the remaining boats were of mixed genders. Rowers’ age range was from 15 to 78 years old.
Seven rowers from the False Creek club won the race in a time of 7 hours, 55 minutes and 9.56 seconds.
A pre-race dinner serving 150 people was also held the night before, with safety boat drivers, umpires, volunteers, athletes, family/friends and honoured guests attending.
Clarke said the club collected more than 15 sponsors and six event partners, and even made a small profit for the first time in the event’s history.
“This was a massive success for our club and our island, and cultivated momentum for not only coastal rowing on Salt Spring but also as a sport,” said Clarke.