The Brentwood Regatta: Rowing the Path to Victory
As the Brentwood Regatta comes to a close, rowers rush to compete in their final races. Despite some weather delays and cancellations, the rowers pushed forward, striving for gold and the glory that comes with it. The Regatta weekend has been extremely hectic for the rowers and their coaches as they rush around, trying to navigate their ever-changing schedules. Yet, the rowers still managed to row exceptionally well throughout the entire weekend.
On Friday, Brentwood managed to place high in many of the races. In the very first race of the day, at 2:00 pm, the Under 19 Novice Men 4x+ boat - stroked by Thomas W, Ellis ‘26 - placed first in their heat, reaching a stunning time of 5:25.24, and qualifying for finals. Later, the Under 19 Novice Men 8+ - also stroked by Thomas W - at 4:06 pm and the Under 19 Novice Women 8+ - stroked by Mimi K, Alex, ‘26 - at 4:20 pm both went on to place first in their heat, with the Novice Men reaching a staggering time of 5:00.87 and the Novice Women reaching 5:40.58, also qualifying them for the finals on Saturday. One of the coxswains - Alisha P, Allard ‘26 - states “All of my rowers worked incredibly hard and I am so proud of them”.
Saturday was even stronger than Friday, boasting a jaw-dropping total of 9 Brentwood boats placing first in their races. Three 8+s, the U19 Men and Women 8+ and the U17 Women 8+ - stroked by Will H, Ellis ‘25, Katelyn M, Hope ‘24, and Mimi K - took first place in their heats, granting all three of the boats a well-deserved spot in the finals. “I think that our hard work paid off and that everyone did really well” said Katelyn M.
The boats stroked by Thomas & Mimi on Friday went on to win Gold in their finals, quickly speeding past their opposition, with Thomas W’s boat finishing with a time of 5:40.18, and Mimi K’s boat finishing with a time of 5:59.66. Finally, both the U19 Men and Women’s 4+ - stroked by Will and Novella R, Hope ‘25 - dominated the competition, allowing them to qualify for the finals on Sunday. In addition to this, the U19 Lightweight Men 2x - stroked by Daniel S, Privett ‘25 — narrowly placed first in their heat, winning only by a few milliseconds.
As Sunday marks the end of the Brentwood Regatta, everyone’s nerves are tense with high stakes and uncertainty looming in the air. Nevertheless, Brentwood’s rowers blazed forward, doing their best and giving their all. Starting off strong at 7:00 am, the U19 Men 8+ placed first in the finals with a time of 5:10.08 - they also won the 4+. The U19 and U17 Women’s 8+s also had great racings earning Silver behind superclubs Green Lake and VCRC.
Later, at 9:12 and 9:42 am, the U19 and U17 Lightweight Women 4+ boats - stroked by Megan C, Allard ‘25, and Mimi K - both won their timed finals placing first and third. Following this, the U19 Men 4+ — also went on to win gold. Lastly, but definitely not least, the U19 Lightweight Men 2x secured gold in their final, closely claiming victory against Victoria City Rowing Club’s boat by less than a second.
The Brentwood Regatta has undoubtedly been a massive success for all of the rowers. No matter if one placed first, second, or otherwise this regatta is a testament to each one of the rowers’ amazing sportsmanship and dedication to their sport. “Congratulations to all of the rowers who raced hard and saw all of their hard work pay off” exclaimed Rowing Coach, Mr Sean Hacker Teper.
Once again, congratulations to all of the rowers, and thank you to all of the staff and students for making this regatta possible! It has honestly been a great experience for not only the visiting schools, but also us as well - and it was only possible with the help of all our volunteers.
Christian M, Privett ‘26