The Royal St. John’s Regatta is the oldest running sporting event in North America and has been a part of Newfoundland history since 1816. Regatta Day as it's known locally, is a full day of fixed seat rowing races using racing shells outfitted with a coxswain and a 6-person crew. Drawing crowds of up to 50,000 around Quidi Vidi Lake, this annual event is typically held on the first Wednesday in August (weather permitting) and is a civic holiday for the entire St. John’s area.
The decision to go ahead with the Regatta is made early that morning so if the weather is not favourable for the races, it proceeds the following day. This has lead to the very popular "Regatta Roulette" where St. John's residents head to the George Street Festival or party elsewhere the night before and hope the weather is suitable to put off the Regatta (and the holiday) the next day.
The Regatta is not just an amateur sporting event but also a social event that has been referred to as the largest garden party in the world. Although many are drawn to watch the races, the Regatta also offers concessions, wheels of fortune, games of chance and food & drink which have become as much a part of the Regatta’s history as the races themselves.
If you don't have the opportunity to check out the Regatta for yourself, that's no problem!! By completing the tasks required below, you can actually experience some of what Regatta Day has to offer. From assessing the pond conditons to doing a victory dance at the winners circle, you can do it all but you will have to bring along your own Regatta snacks in case there's no food trucks at lakeside the day you're there LOL.
To claim your smiley, you will be required to complete a series of TASKS to simulate a "Regatta Day" experience:
TASK 1
First thing's first - if weather and wind conditions are not suitable, the Regatta will be postponed until the next suitable day.
- Standing at waypoint #1, open up the NTV Web Cam to get live stream footage of Quidi Vidi Lake
- Make sure that you are visible in the live stream (there is a short delay) and take a screenshot of yourself (and your crew if you have one) with Quidi Vidi Lake in the background and attach this photo to your log.
- If the NTV Web Cam is offline during your visit, then you can take a pic of yourself or a personal effect at GZ for this stage to submit with your log.
- What's your call for Regatta Day - Is it "a-go" or a "no-go" based on the conditions? Include this answer in your log.
TASK 2
Now it's time to make your way to the starting line to wait for the sound of the gun to signal the start of the race.
- At waypoint #2 you will find "The Rower." Cast in bronze, "The Rower" sculpture created by Morgan MacDonald is located near the starting line of the races at Quidi Vidi Lake. It's an abstract personification of the Regatta Day rower depicting a man sitting in a racing shell and pulling an oar across the water.
- Locate the plaque near the rowers feet and note who this statue was was gifted to. Send your answer to the CO for verification.
TASK 3
The race is over and it's now time to celebrate your victory at the Royal St. John's Regatta Winners Cirlcle. The winner circle is meant to recognize the achievements of all rowers of the Royal St. John's Regatta, no matter the official time a crew finishes their race or whether or not they made it into the championship race. Take a moment to look around and imagine how it must feel to finally get here. After all the practises, blisters, blood sweat and tears, the Regatta is over for another year.
- At the winners circle, you will notice a series of dark granite curves that represent the ripples created by the rowers’ oars. These curves also display and honour the winners of the championship races of the past and for generations to come. Go ahead, do your happy dance and take a pic at the winners circle. Although I would love to see this pic in your log, it's not necessary.
- At waypoint #3 locate the section on this granite curve that represents the Regatta of 1892, Take note of the statement made here and send this to the CO for verification.
I hope you enjoyed your Regatta Day experience and I look forward to hearing all about it.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.