1990 Royal Canadian Henley Senior LTW 8 - 2000m Final - Leander Boat Club

The video is of the senior lightweight eight final at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario. Leander Boat Club (LBC) won the race in 5:52. Flags at the finish line suggest calm conditions. I believe the hydro dam was turned off for the Sunday finals, so there was no current. It was a hard-fought race between St Catharines and LBC; both exceptional crews comprised of dedicated and talented athletes. Several athletes from both Canadian crews had previously rowed together at the World Rowing Championships – we knew each other. In 1990, many of the athletes in these two boats chose not to participate in the national program. Instead, they chose to represent their home clubs in some exciting summer racing. This race is the culmination of a summer's worth of fun in the “Hamilton-Harbour/Valley Inn” and the Martindale Pond. The LBC crew rowed in the "Flo Saunders". I believe it was the first summer for her; a wooden Kaschper shell from Lucan, Ontario. I still remember her lines and the beautiful mahogany grain. The builder’s pride could be seen in each screw, nut, rib, seat, stretcher, and layer of varnish. She was simply flawless. I'm not sure what happened to Flo over the years. I suppose, as with all of us, her fastest days are behind her. I do hope, however, that she still occupies a corner of the boat house. My apologies for the grainy video. This was the best that I could do with the conversion from analogue to digital.