Members of the North Bay Canoe Club win gold in the war canoe race at the U15 Eastern Ontario Division Regatta. The event is taking place all day Saturday at Olmsted Beach. Many regard this particular race as the most exciting heat of the competition. PHOTO by: Jazz Mathon
Canoes and Kayaks took over Olmsted beach on Saturday for the first regatta held North Bay in two years. Canoe clubs from Ottawa River, Carleton Place and Gananoque made the journey to North Bay to compete in the U15 Eastern Ontario Division.
The North Bay Canoe Club did not disappoint the hometown crowd, winning many divisions, including the popular war canoe heat, which features 14 mixed paddlers and a coxswain.
Other local paddlers fared well in individual events. Max Kerrigan won gold in the U13 Kayak (1000m)
“It was a really good race for me, probably my best this year,” shared Kerrigan, who also stressed the importance of staying warmed up throughout the day to avoid getting stiff before hitting the water.
“It went really well from the start, got it off from the start and had a great finish,” said Garrett Guillemette, who won the U12 Canoe 1 (1000m)
Race results will be posted on BayToday when they are made available by organizers.
Around a hundred athletes took part in the regatta. Ed Hong served as co-commodore and said the racers were ready to compete in the wet weather. “We’ve had very calm conditions today, very little wind, so it has not been a problem.”
The weather also didn’t dampen the mood of spectators, who did not shy away from cheering on their local clubs.
“We have some great spirit here a lot people really happy with the results and I am surprised how well it went considering the conditions,” added Hong.
