Locals row to top finishes at Rat Island Regatta

By Sequim Gazette Staff • June 26, 2024 1:30 am
Photo by Michael Lampi/Sound Rowers Taking first place in the Open Water Coxed Quad long course division in the June 15 Rat Island Regatta are Sequim Bay Yacht Club rowers (from left) Christi Jolly, Frank DeSalvo, Amy Holms and Jeanne Neal, with Carolyn DeSalvo in the cox seat.
Photo by Michael Lampi/Sound Rowers Taking first place in the Open Water Coxed Quad long course division in the June 15 Rat Island Regatta are Sequim Bay Yacht Club rowers (from left) Christi Jolly, Frank DeSalvo, Amy Holms and Jeanne Neal, with Carolyn DeSalvo in the cox seat.

Local rowers braved some tough conditions for strong finishes at the 30th-annual Rat Island Regatta in Port Townsend on June 15.

Taking first place in the Open Water Coxed Quad class were a quintet from the Sequim Bay Yacht Club. Rowers Frank DeSalvo, Amy Holms, Christi Jolly and Jeanne Neal, and cox Carolyn DeSalvo clocked in the 7.8-mile course in 1:10:20.3 for first place.

Meanwhile, four boats from the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association (OPRA) traveled the regatta, with all four boats returning with wins.

In the flatwater quad division, the OPRA team of Teig Carlson, Noah Oberly, Quince Chanway and Mason Mai blazed around the 2.9-mile short course in 19:57.7, finishing first overall. (The short course was added as an option in 2013, and since that time only one boat had finished the course in under 20 minutes, an eight-oared boat from Kitsap Rowing Association in 2019.)

Photo by Michael Lampi/Sound Rowers / From left, coxswain Sean Halberg and rowers Quinn Peterson, Amanda Chan, Abby Cassel and Haverly Peterson of Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association compete in the Rat Island Regatta in Port Townsend on June 15.

Photo by Michael Lampi/Sound Rowers / From left, coxswain Sean Halberg and rowers Quinn Peterson, Amanda Chan, Abby Cassel and Haverly Peterson of Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association compete in the Rat Island Regatta in Port Townsend on June 15.

OPRA’s Chris Swain and Ann Patterson finished first in the Open Water Double’s short course division with a time of 35:57.4.

In the Open Water Coxed Quad (short course), the team of Quinn Peterson, Amanda Chan, Abby Cassel, Haverly Peterson, and coxswain Sean Halberg finished first in their division with a time of 37:59.3.

On the long course, OPRA’s Cooper Disque was the first across the line in the Open Water Single II division, completing the 7.8 mile course in 1:10:14.4.

The regatta saw 41 total participants competing on the short and long courses.

Complete results are available at webscorer.com/race?raceid=355559.

Photo by Michael Lampi/Sound Rowers / From left, Mason Mai, Quince Chanway, Noah Oberly and Teig Carlson of the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association compete in the Rat Island Regatta in Port Townsend on June 15.

Photo by Michael Lampi/Sound Rowers / From left, Mason Mai, Quince Chanway, Noah Oberly and Teig Carlson of the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association compete in the Rat Island Regatta in Port Townsend on June 15.

The Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association is just starting its summer season. Programs are available for seventh graders up to adult, and a grades 4-6 session will be available in August; get more information at PArowing.org or by emailing to RowWithOPRA@outlook.com.

Next up for OPRA is the Western Canadian Beach Sprint Championship in Victoria on June 29 and the Budd Inlet regatta in Olympia on July 13. OPRA will host the Port Angeles Beach Sprint Regatta at Hollywood Beach on Aug. 3-4.