Women’s teams race under overcast skies during the Royal St. John’s Regatta on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. Photo by Kyle Mooney/The TelegramArticle contentWednesday, Aug. 5, 2026 marked the 208th annual Royal St. John’s Regatta at Quidi Vidi Lake in St John’s. The Telegram was lakeside to see how some Regatta goers were celebrating the day.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 content Pat Zulinov and her dog Levi visit the Royal St. John’s Regatta for the first time. Photo by Kyle MooneyArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle content‘Rowing is always weather-dependent’Article contentPat Zulinov and her husband were “really keen” to visit St. John’s during its famed annual Regatta. She first heard of it from fellow rowers years ago.Article contentArticle content“One of the coaches in our club was from Newfoundland and he talked about it a lot,” she said. “We’ve always had this feeling that we would really love to come see it because there’s so much history.”Article contentZulinov, who lives in Guelph, Ontario, figures rowing is “always weather-dependent — no matter what you’re doing or the way you’re doing it.”Article contentAt first, she says, she questioned the need for the annual tradition of calling the holiday the morning-of. She wondered if they could just set a day in advance and cancel it if they had to. But she changed her view Wednesday.Article content“When I heard them announcing it and we got here and saw all the people here I thought ‘Oh, I see why they do this’,” she said. “I like it.”Article contentZulinov and her husband rowed “for 20-odd years” in Ontario — singles, quads and eights. “Took it up later in life,” she said, “and once I did, six days a week.”Article contentShe’s since stopped due to arthritis. She says it was hard. But, “having sold my boat and being away for it for a couple of years, I’ve sort of come to terms with it.”Article contentArticle contentArticle content Members of the Creative Closets U14 Women’s team relax before their 4 p.m. Regatta Day race. (Pictured, from left: Kenzie Gardner, Nadia, Riggs, Taylor Hedges, Skylar Nagle, Linsdey Smart, Mila Rodrigues.) Photo by Kyle MooneyArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle content‘We’re just going to go and play games and chill’Article contentRowers from the Creative Closets team say they were feeling “good” and “excited” ahead of their 4 p.m. Cineplex U14 Women’s Race, but also “scared,” “nervous,” and “both scared and nervous.”Article contentNone of the team’s nine members has rowed in the Regatta before. But they’ve been practicing “a lot.”Article content“The weather’s been really bad,” one member said. “so we haven’t been practicing that much. But we still practice a lot. Like a couple times a week, for 45 minutes.” Getting rained on, splashed on, and losing an orr has been the worst part of the experience. The best part, they all agree, “is being with everybody.”Article contentIn the few hours leading up to the 4 p.m. race, the Creative Closets rowers say they had no plans. “We’re just going to go and play games and chill.”Article contentArticle content Mike Duff, 85, visits the Royal St. John’s Regatta for the first time in 20 years. Photo by Kyle MooneyArticle contentArticle content‘It’s better than it ever was’Article contentMike Duff said he’s impressed with the “the number of young people” on the lake this year compared to his last visit.Article contentHis son, Mike Jr., noticed how much greener the grounds around Quidi Vidi Lake has become.
This year’s Royal St. John’s Regatta a first for some, a return for others, and an enjoyable day for all
