Weekend Wrap: Early Bird Opens 2025 Regatta Season
The St. Catharines Rowing Club’s annual Early Bird Regatta kicked off the 2025 regatta season on Sunday on the Henley Course in St. Catharines.
A total of 20 high school rowing programs attended the regatta with the rowers getting their first taste of inter-school competition of the year. The majority of the 20 schools came from the Niagara region, with some from London, Toronto, and New York state as well. The regatta had 103 total entries, and the competitors raced in singles, doubles, pairs, quads, fours and eights in men’s, women’s and mixed junior, senior and novice divisions. The number of first place finishes of the 20 schools who competed were fairly spread out, with 15 different schools taking home a gold medal in the events. Sir Winston Churchill (St. Catharines) led the way with seven golds in events that had more than one entry. Branksome Hall (Toronto), Eden HS (St. Catharines), St. Joseph’s CI (Buffalo), and West Niagara SS (Grimsby) each had two.
Other schools earning first place finishes Sunday included Sir Frederick Banting (London), Westlane SS (Niagara Falls), Governor Simcoe SS (St. Catharines), Brighton Rowing Club (Rochester), St. Francis CSS (St. Catharines), Blessed Trinity CSS (St. Catharines), Holy Cross CSS (St. Catharines), Upper Canada College (Toronto), and Denis Morris CHS (St. Catharines) and A.N. Myer SS (Niagara Falls).
The next regatta of the season in Ontario will also take place on Henley Course in St. Catharines as the Mother’s Day Regatta will run on Sunday, May 11.
Men’s Winners
Novice Men’s 4x+: Sir Winston Churchill, 7:31.2
Junior Men’s 2x: Governor Simcoe SS, 7:37
Junior Men’s 4x+: Sir Winston Churchill, 6:54.6
Senior Men’s 72kg 1x: Sir Winston Churchill, 7:45
Senior Men’s 72kg 2x: West Niagara, 7:26
Senior Men’s 2-: St. Joseph’s CI, 7:31
Senior Men’s 2x: St. Francis CSS, 7:15.6
Senior Men’s 4x: Sir Frederick Banting, 6:57
Senior Men’s 4+: Denis Morris CHS, 6:52.46
Senior Men’s 72kg 4+: St. Joseph’s CI, 8:28.6
Senior Men’s 8+: UCC, 6:15.9
Women’s Winners
Novice Women’s 4x+: West Niagara, 8:51
Novice Women’s 8+: Sir Winston Churchill, 8:08
Junior Women’s 1x: Westlane, 9:02
Junior Women’s 4+: Branksome Hall, 8:20.23
Junior Women’s 4x+: Sir Winston Churchill 8:23
Junior Women’s 8+: Branksome Hall, 7:29.1
Senior Women’s 1x: Sir Winston Churchill, 8:37.7
Senior Women’s 63kg 1x: Eden HS, 8:24.45
Senior Women’s 2x: Blessed Trinity, 7:51.2
Senior Women’s 2-: Eden HS, 8:04.1
Senior Women’s 4+: Brighton Rowing Club, 7:54
Senior Women’s 63kg 2x: Holy Cross, 9:16
Senior Women’s 8+: Sir Winston Churchill, 7:18.5
Mixed Winners
Mixed 4x: A.N. Myer SS, 7:38.3
For more information on the Early Bird Regatta please visit Regatta Central.
For upcoming events please visit our events calendar
Picture is property of the Niagara Falls Rowing Club
