So nice they did it twice: Volkswagen, Capital Home Hardware repeat as regatta champions
Regatta draws thousands to lakeside, cheering on rowers
The winners circle at the Royal St. John's Regatta has a sense of familiarity to it in 2025, as both Volkswagen St. John's and Capital Home Hardware are back-to-back champions.
Capital Home Hardware won the first championship race on the men's side. The crew rowed an official time of 9:55.24 on Quidi Vidi Lake, beating second-place team East Coast Kia by 22 seconds.
Capital Home Hardware also won the regatta in 2024, and finished second place in both 2022 and 2023.
Team member Brad White said winning the championship for a second time was a special feeling.
"I've been rowing since I was 13 years old, so it was about time, right? So to get a second one under my belt feels great, and hopefully we'll see what comes next year," he said Wednesday.
In the women's championship, Volkswagen St. John's won first place with a time of 5:16.41, beating second-place team Smith Stockley Ladies by just over eight seconds.
Amanda Ryan said the victory was a special moment for her. She was part of a record-setting team that won the regatta in 2018, and was able to return to the race this year after living away for the past six years.
"It's hard to imagine that you can do that again after so long. So it's just, like, a really big day for everyone," Ryan said.
"It was just a really, really great day back then, and it's a great day now. It's always fun."
Thousands descend on Quidi Vidi for races
The regatta is North America's oldest continuous sporting event, typically running on the first Wednesday each August. The decision for races to go triggered the unique mid-week, weather-dependent citywide holiday.
The first race began at 8 a.m. NT.
Keith White, vice-president of the Royal St. John's Regatta Committee, said the decision to proceed was unanimous.
He said rowers build friendships through the sport that last decades and lead to strong ties, including standing in each other's weddings.
"The athletes that row, these are real athletes. They take so much pride in their sport, their training, on and off the pond, 12 months a year," White told CBC News.
This year also marked the first time the event had an open category for all rowers, regardless of their gender.
Sophie Connors, cheering from land and jumping up and down, was there to watch her mother and aunt race.
"I want them to win," she said while smiling, adding she doesn't know a lot about the rules of the sport but her mother trains a lot. "She's really strong."
Kateryna Sobko was also lakeside with her family. This year was their first experience of the regatta since they moved to Newfoundland and Labrador from Poland last fall.
"We enjoy this day. We love to find new information about Newfoundland, about Newfoundland's celebration," Sobko said. "[My daughter] likes to choose who will be the winner all the time."
The day got started well before the first race, with food trucks setting up and spectators starting to arrive for the early morning paddles.
"We come every year for the mini doughnuts," race watcher Alana Gale said. "Whether it's the morning, the afternoon, we're like, 'That's our first stop."
Ziggy Peelgood's owner Todd Hickey estimates there are usually between 30,000 to 40,000 people who head to the lake each year.
"We'll probably serve six, seven thousand people," Hickey told CBC News.
He said he enjoys the excitement of getting ready for the big race day, and the day before the regatta also tends to bring in good business.
Getting a hot plate of fries is a Regatta tradition for people like Patrick Collins, who visited during a trip home from Aurora, Ont.
"I remember, as a little boy, being here. I think I was in Grade 9, and I lined up for french fries. And I remember getting my french fries, and as I was walking back, somebody bumped into me and all my fries fell on the ground," he said with a laugh.
"It was a sad story, but I got another plate of fries later."
'Like Christmas Day'
Seth Hyde, who rowed with the Outfitters team, didn't expect to race on Wednesday. A team member was injured and Hyde got the call.
"Twenty-four hours ago I didn't know I was rowing in the boat today," he said Wednesday morning.
"We're really excited. That team has won their last three regattas so I'm really excited to be in the boat with them."
Hyde is a seventh-generation rower, and his father is a member of the regatta's hall of fame.
"Regatta Day is like Christmas Day for me," he said.
The annual event has only been moved a few times in its history — this year because of the Canada Summer Games, which begins on Aug. 8 and will make use of the historic lake over the event's two weeks.
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With files from Jenna Benchetrit and Jessica Singer