Crews line up for the inaugural running of the Year of Sport Open Crew race at the 207th Royal St. John’s Regatta on July 30. Photo by Nicholas Mercer/The TelegramArticle contentWith more than 30 years of gliding on top of Quidi Vidi Lake as a part of the Royal St. John’s Regatta, there isn’t much new for Gord Delaney to experience. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIn the early afternoon of July 30, 2025 the experienced rower, coach and coxswain discovered that there was still some unknown to conquer in his sport. Article contentArticle contentNamely, rowing with some of his former pupils in the inaugural Year of Sport senior open crew division in the 207th running of the historic race. Article contentArticle content“I’ve never had the opportunity to row with many of them, especially the females, because it’s never been in the mixed category,” said Delaney. “For me to be able to sit in a seat with them and be a teammate versus a coach and teammate sort of scenario was a bucket list for me. Article content“I’m down here 30-plus years, and this is the first time I’ve done it. So, another one off the list.” Article content The Premiere Mortgage Centre Inc crew won the inaugural Year of Sport Open Crew race at the 207th Royal St. John’s Regatta on July 30. They are, in no particular order, coxswain Tina Ring, Doug Trainor, Gord Delaney, Steve Winters, Jennifer Carroll and Alison Jones, along with spares Kerri-Ann Ennis and Mark Power. Photo by Nicholas Mercer/The TelegramArticle contentA STRONG RACEArticle contentDelaney was rowing as a part of the Premier Mortgage Centre Inc. crew that won the event. Article contentAlongside Delaney, the team consists of coxswain Tina Ring, Doug Trainor, Krista Browne, Steve Winters, Jennifer Carroll and Alicia Jones, alongside spares Kerri-Ann Ennis and Mark Power. Article contentTheir time of 05:47.60 was enough to beat out the second-place UNF Avalon crew and the MUN Rowing Club. Article content“We had a good race. The wind came down a little bit for our race,” said Delaney. “Our plan was to just go out there and have some fun and finish and we did so strongly. Article contentArticle content“So, we feel pretty good about.” Article contentA NEW RACEArticle contentThe open category was something new for the storied St. John’s race. It was one open to rowers of any gender or gender identity. Article contentThe crews in the race reflected that. The UNF crew were all from Ukraine, while the MUN crew featured a mixture of local athletes and international rowers. Article content“I’m not sure many of us would have been on the water this year if this category didn’t open up,” said Delaney. Article contentBoth the MUN and Ukrainian crews were rowing in their first regatta.Article content“I think we live in kind of a diverse world, and it’s great to kind of just bring skilled people together and just row and honestly, mostly for fun,” said MUN rower Logan Bragg. “There’s no championship yet for the open crew category, but maybe in the future, there will be, and I think it’s positive and great.” Article contentLEARNING TOGETHERArticle contentThe MUN crew only started rowing a month or so ago as they prepared themselves for their first time on the water.
It’s positive and great: The newest division at the Royal St. Johns Regatta is a hit with rowers
