Calling all rowers

The 2009 Labrador West Regatta is on schedule.

Nick McGrath, president of the Labrador West Rowing Association, said even though there was some concern about holding the Regatta this year because of the economic uncertainty in the region, there will be a call for rowers to start training for six weeks from mid-June until Regatta Day July 31.

"There was a bit of a dilemma as to whether or not the Regatta would have went ahead with the shutdown of the IOC," says McGrath. "With the outcome right now of the economy in Labrador West, we think that we are going to have a fairly busy season, because it is looking good here again right now."

He explains the association had to make a decision to accommodate local residents because Regatta Day is a civic holiday.

"I think people have relaxed a little bit," says McGrath. "And they have started looking forward to their summer activities and the Regatta has always been a highlight here in Labrador West in the summer."

He also believes they are going to be busy because although students are not working in the mines, many of them have returned home for the summer.

McGrath says the association has three new coxswains Melissa Boyd, Michaela Simpson-Reddick, and Robin Porter going through clinics this year, and once they're done they can get crews in the water.

McGrath explains the Regatta will once again offer local entertainers an opportunity to provide music and the concession area will be open to the general public, where at one time it was restricted to non-profit organizations.

He said non-profit organizations had problems finding volunteers for the Regatta in the past, so they tended not to participate, but by opening it up to the general public and cutting the concession fee in half, McGrath hopes there will be a bigger incentive for people to set up shop.

"What I have found over the past eight or 10 years is that more and more people are interested in watching the races, which to us is ultimately what the Regatta is all about," says McGrath.

He adds for the rowers the Regatta is not only a summer activity, but a social event.

"On Regatta Day everybody hopes to win, but the social aspect of enjoying the season is as important as winning the championship," says McGrath.

Last year, McGrath noted 56 crews registered and 55 rowed, whereas a normal Regatta would have around 30-35, and now that the bar has been set he anticipates 40-50 crews to take part this year.

He explains the equipment is in excellent condition, the shells are still fairly new, and the boathouse is looking good. However, he does express the dock is beginning to show wear-and-tear and the association is putting in a proposal to have it replaced with a polyethylene version by 2010. It would come with a hefty $50,000-$70,000 bill, but McGrath points out that it would have a lifetime guarantee.