The provincial government says earmarking money for the two crews that win the Triple Crown of Rowing is designed to help offset some of the costs involved in pursuing the three events.
Premier Tony Wakeham announced $10,000 for the men’s and women’s crews who first cross the finish line at Quidi Vidi Lake, Southeast Placentia and Lady Lake in Harbour Grace.
“There used to be a triple crown which, of course, VOCM was heavily involved in. Hopefully, this will entice teams to participate in all three regattas and get back to that competition that was there before,” Premier Wakeham said on Your VOCM Mornings.
The competitive element, especially at the senior men’s level, has fallen off over the past decade or so, but crews still devote three months to on-the-pond training and much of the rest of the year to dryland training.
Wakeham got a good feel for what goes into the events after visiting the regattas in St. John’s and Placentia this summer.
“It’s amazing how many people I saw yesterday who came from other parts of the province and other parts of Canada – indeed, all over the world,” said the Premier.
