Each member of the M5 ladies crew has chalked up well more than the equivalent of a million of those on rowing machines this year, all for the sake of a quick — very quick — 1,225-metre trip on the water on Quidi Vidi Lake Wednesday evening.
The crew of stroke Katie Wadden, Alyssa Devereaux, Jane Brodie, Nancy Beaton, Amanda Ryan, Amanda Hancock, spare Shannon Driscoll and coxswain Dean Hammond covered the pond in just five minutes and .71 seconds in winning its second consecutive Royal St. John’s Regatta.
And while they didn’t get under the five-minute mark that is an undoubted standard for female Regatta crews, the M5 rowers are shooting much higher — or lower, perhaps — knowing they were just about four seconds away from breaking the women’s course record of 4:56.70 set by OZ-FM in 2003.
“Oh yeah, we have it in us,” Wadden answered definitively when asked if M5 could be four seconds faster.
“The time wasn’t there today, but we definitely know we are faster than that. We’re happy with five minutes, but our goal is to go for the record. That’s always in the back of our heads.
“We want that record.”
That determination will now have to be realized in 2018 in what will be the Regatta’s 200th anniversary year.
“We’re already thinking about next year. We will enjoy our August and everything we’ve done here today, but it won’t be long before we’ll start preparing for 2018,” said Wadden, noting the Bert Hickey-coached crew plans on once again getting in some sliding-seat work this fall.
“There’s already this really unique energy that’s going around about next year, a real buzz that if you’re a rower, you have to row in 2018.”
“It seems everyone is talking about rowing in it, so that makes (winning) the title something you want even more,” added Beaton.
This year, for the first time in a long time, there were over 100 crews entered in St. John’s Regatta, and there is talk registration numbers could reach 125, 130 or more for the 200th anniversary year.
But how many of those new crews might become contenders for a championship remains to be seen.
This year, there were two clear-cut champion teams, the Outer Cove men and M5, whose championship time was more than 13 seconds ahead of second-place JAC (5:14.21).
Steers Insurance (5:23.26), Dawe and Burke (5:27.28) and Pouch Cove Pharmacy (5:40.85) were the other crews in Wednesday women’s championship.
Wadden noted the work done by the other finalists, but couldn’t deny that it might be of even greater benefit to have a crew (or two) that provided the two-time champions with even more of a push down the pond, something akin to the OZ-FM-VOFM rivalry of a decade and a half ago.
“Any competition always helps takes you to the next level, but to have someone right there every single stroke, breathing down your neck, that certainly can really get you there,” said Wadden. “I’ve been in those really tight races and, yes, they can help you do things you might not have thought was possible.”
Even as the 2017 race schedule was being run off at Quidi Vidi Wednesday, there was plenty of talk about potential comeback crews for next summer, seeking to be part of the big year and to chase down titles and the one-of-kind gold rings that will go to the 2018 champions.
“We’re excited because we hear whispers about other crews coming back,” said Wadden. “We hear (veteran coxswain) Gord Delaney might be bringing back Roebothan, which was a big crew in 2010 and 2011.”
The rowers who were with Cahill Group, the 2016 runners-up to M5, are also mentioned as another potential returning team.
“They’re amazing athletes. To have them back would be great for the Regatta,” said Wadden.
“We’d welcome it.”
