Victoria City Rowing Club is hosting the 2007 Canadian Masters Rowing Championships this August 17-19. The regatta is open to anyone over the age of 27, including rowers outside of Canada, and organizers are expecting up to 500 competitors this year.
This year, the regatta committee is working to make the Masters a "green" regatta by taking steps to reduce waste and fuel consumption. Steps include: *Using compostable and/or reusable dishes for BBQ and concessions. *Choosing foods and products with minimal packaging. *Composting food waste (and recycling other waste). *Not selling bottled water and encouraging participants to refill their own bottles with tap water. *Planning the umpire and safety boat schedule to reduce fuel consumption, while still maintaining safety. *Setting up a spectator-friendly viewing area at the start line to encourage participants and spectators to stay at the lake for the day (and reduce the number of car trips). Brenda Taylor, Olympic double gold medalist in Barcelona, and all around environmentally conscious person heads up the green team for this regatta: "I am so pleased that the club (Victoria City Rowing Club), with the support of Rowing Canada Aviron, has not only taken the initiative to reduce the environmental impact of this regatta, but is also going to contribute some of the regatta proceeds to a legacy fund. The legacy fund will be invested in water and energy conservation measures to reduce the on-going environmental impact of operating the boathouse. We hope that the 2007 Canadian Masters Championships will set an example for other regattas held at Elk Lake and across Canada," said Taylor. The regatta promises some exciting races as top Masters rowers from Canada and the U.S. compete to be best in their events. The boat classes include singles, pairs, doubles, coxed fours, quads and eights and adaptive events on a six-lane, 1000-metre buoyed course on the beautiful Elk Lake. More than 100 volunteers are helping to ensure the event runs smoothly. The Canadian Masters Regatta chair is Sharon Hume. The head VCRC Masters coach and general on the ground staff organizer is Albert Van Schothurst "It is exciting that a very large contingent of masters from the Pacific Northwest will be supporting the Canadian Master Championships this year making this event very competitive," said Van Schothurst. For more information contact Jennifer Browett, Rowing Canada Aviron [email protected] 250-361-4222. Ext. 5
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