Canadian crews got their feet wet today in their first international-distance races of the season at Koninklijke Holland Beker (June 25 and 26), near Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The Canadian pair of Dave Calder of Victoria, B.C. and Scott Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C. won a final today in 06:36.16, an Australian pair could not catch the Olympic silver medalists and was second in 06:39.21.
The Canadian lightweight four crew won decisively in the men's four category in 6:06.95. The crew is Morgan Jarvis (Winnipeg, MB), Mike Lewis (Victoria, BC), Tim Myers (Penticton, BC) and John Sasi (North Delta, BC).
"This is a good starting point for the season. It's nice to get a race under our belts. We know what we have to work on before Lucerne (World Cup 3, July 8 to 10)," said Myers.
The Canadian women's eight was second in its final this afternoon in a time of 06:10.97. The Dutch won in front of their home crowd in 6:06.67.
"It is our first international 2 km race of the year; we feel we have a solid platform to start the season," said veteran coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie. "We know the competition is going to be close in the Olympic qualifying year, and we are looking forward to the race tomorrow."
The eight this year is Thompson-Willie (London, ON), Ashley Brzozowicz (London, ON), Krista Guloien (Port Moody, BC), Janine Hanson (Winnipeg, MB), Darcy Marquardt (Richmond, BC), Natalie Mastracci (Thorold, ON), Andreanne Morin (Montreal, QC), Cristy Nurse (Georgetown, ON) and Rachelle Viinberg (Regina, SK).
The lightweight men's pair - Rares Crisan of Mississauga, ON, and Matt Jensen of Innerkip, ON - won in 06:40.44. This was a very close race with the second-place Dutch pair clocking in at 06:40.66.
"Racing this quickly coming off the plane is never easy and I think a lot of our crews, us included, felt it in the heats this morning," explained Crisan, who took a bronze medal with Jensen at the 2010 Worlds in this same event. "Even though we haven't spent much time in the pair due to an injury, we put down our best time in calm conditions so I feel we're already off to a stronger start than last year."
In the women's double category, Canadian World champion lightweights Tracy Cameron and Lindsay Jennerich finished second in 07:09,00, to Britons Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking (7:07.50). Another Canadian double entry (Emma Darling of Vancouver, B.C. and Emily Cameron of Summerside, PEI) was sixth in 07:18.87.
The Canadian men's double - Fraser Berkhout (St. Catharines, ON) and Mike Wilkinson (Vancouver, BC) - won in 06:26.10, second was a crew from Belgium in 06:28.46.
The women's pair of Carolyn Ganes (Saskatoon, SK) and Larissa Lagzdins (Burlington, ON) finished second to a British pair in 07:24,69. In the same race, Jane Rumball of Fredericton, NB, and Sarah Bonikowsky of Orangeville, ON, were fourth in 07:27.65.
Malcolm Howard of Victoria - 2008 Olympic gold medalist in the eight - was second in today's heat for the men's single in 07:11.25. Sweden's Lassi Karonen won the heat in 07:05.90. Howard advances to tomorrow's semi in the one of the most hotly contested events in this regatta.