Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal attended an event on Thursday, June 30th hosted by The Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee and the 200th Anniversary Committee.
Distinguished guests also included: His Honour Frank Fagan, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Her Honour Patricia Fagan; The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador; The Honourable Siobhan Coady, Chair of the 200th Anniversary Committee; St. John’s East Member of Parliament Nick Whalen; St. John’s South Mount Pearl Member of Parliament Seamus O’Regan; Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth and members of the St. John’s City Council.
In 2018, The Royal St. John’s Regatta will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first documented Regatta in 1818, which was held to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the coronation of King George III, making The Royal St. John’s Regatta the oldest, continuous sporting event in North America.
Her Royal Highness unveiled gold rings that will be presented to winners of the men’s and ladies championship races in 2018.
“On behalf of The Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee, the 200th Anniversary Committee, our rowers and guests, it was a privilege to welcome Her Royal Highness and our distinguished guests to Quidi Vidi lake. We are proud of our Royal designation and our historical significance as the oldest, continuous sporting event in North America. With rower’s eager to hit the pond again this year, we are confident that the competition will be strong in 2018 in the quest to win these championship rings.” – Paul Rogers, President, The Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee
The gold in the rings originates from the Anaconda Mining, Point Rousse Project located on the Baie Verte Peninsula and is from the first small batch of certified Anaconda Newfoundland Gold. The rings were created by Julie and Terry George of The Golden Tulip. They feature the shield from the Regatta’s 200th Anniversary celebration logo and reflects the unique design of the 6-person shell, the rippling waters of Quidi Vidi Lake and our attachment to the Royal Family.
“It is a tremendous privilege for Anaconda Mining to contribute the gold for the rings. These are the first rings to be made with certified Newfoundland gold. We feel honoured that our gold will be used in the commemoration of this historic event and the celebration of the champions of the 200th Anniversary Royal St. John’s Regatta races.” – Dustin Angelo, President & CEO, Anaconda Mining
“We are very honoured that the Golden Tulip was chosen to design and make these special pieces. We appreciate the significance of these rings as a focal point in the championship races of the 200th Anniversary celebrations of The Royal St. John’s Regatta. We took great care to reflect the history and tradition of the Regatta and its Royal designation, which is reflected in the blue sapphires which adorn each ring.” – Julie & Terry George, Owners, The Golden Tulip
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Media Contact:
Keith White
Royal St. John’s Regatta 200th Anniversary Committee
T: (709) 693-2722
[email protected]
BACKGROUNDER
The very earliest, verifiable mention of a rowing competition in St. John’s dates back to August 1816 when the Royal Gazette makes mention of a rowing match. However, it wasn’t until 1818 that the first official regatta was held to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the coronation of King George III on September 22nd, 1761. It is from that date we take as the official anniversary of the longest continuing sporting event in North America.
The Royal St. John’s Regatta continues to draw large crowds of up to 50,000 people to the shores of beautiful Quidi Vidi Lake. It has become a staple of Newfoundland and Labrador’s history and is itself a curious entity.
The Royal St. John’s Regatta is:
• The only civic holiday in North America to be declared by a committee of persons not associated with a government body.
• The only civic holiday that is dependent on the weather.
• One of the last fixed seat rowing competitions known to exist in the world.
• The only competition where teams have to round buoys and return to the start line in order to finish the race.
• One of only four organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador to be granted the Royal Designation (the others are The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and The Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club).
• Additional information regarding The Royal St. John’s Regatta is available at www.stjohnsregatta.org.