Online edition of Sunday Observer

Madras Boat Club oarsmen and oarswomen proved their class showing superior rowing skills to become overall champions and carried away the V.C. Bath Challenge Trophy collecting 49 points to Colombo Rowing Club's 36 points at the three-day Far Eastern Amateur Rowing Association Regatta held at the Beira waters yesterday.

Tushar Bausal and Rohit Ravindran of Madras, who won the Coxless Pair with a time of 4 minutes 1 second at the Far Eastern Amateur Rowing Association (FEARA) Regatta, on the Beira Lake yesterday. They beat Colombo Rowing Club’s Mahil Gamage and Mahangu Weerasinghe (4 minutes 12 seconds). Picture by Chinthaka Kumarasinghe

The Madras Boat Club, crew both men and women, sailed through the waters to win the FEARA Pair (men), Fears Four (men), FEARA Veteran Scull, FEARA Women Scull and the FEARA Four women to collected 49 points.

Prier to the two FEARA men and women Four, Colombo Rowing Club was leading with 29 points to Madras Boat Club's 10 points. But the visiting Madras Boat Club oarsmen and oarswomen put up a splendid feat to win both the FEARA Coxed Four Women and FEARA Coxed Men Four in fine style.

The Colombo Rowing Club had wins in the FEARA Coxless Pair Women, FEARA Scull men, and were placed runners-up in the FEARA Men four and FEARA Pair Men.

The main event of the day-the FEARA Coxed Four Men, the Beat Race, last event of the day was keenly contested. It was a superb race with lot of excitement. The Madras Boat Club crew comprising of Tushar Bansal, Rahul Baliga, S. Ablish and Rohit Ravindra rowed with authority at the last 100 metres to overcome the Colombo Rowing Club crew - Dejan de Zoysa, Shannon de Silva, Dineshka Aluvihare, Isuru Perera to win the pretigious race by 5 seconds. The time taken by the Madras Boat Club was 3.33 secs.

The following trophies were presented to the following V. C. Bath Interport Trophy - (Overall FEARA winner) Madras Boat Club, Interport Challenge Cup (Men's Coxed Four) Madras Boat Club, Blair Challenge Shield (Men's Pairs) Madras Boat Club, Parketvaart Wisselbeker Trophy (Men's Singles Scull) Colombo Rowing Club, Royal Hong Kong Yachu Cup (Men's Veterans Sculls) Madras Boat Club, FEARA Millennium Cup (Ladies Four) Madras Boat Club, Saigen Rose Bowl (Ladies Pair) Colombo Rowing Club, Colombo Rowing Club, Colombo Rowing Club Cup (Ladies Singles Scull) Madras Boat Club. The Manila Boat Club/Royal Singapore Yacht Club Trophy (Overall) Colombo Rowing Club with 19 points.

At the last FEARA Regatta held in Colombo in 1999, Colombo Rowing Club won the V. C. Bath Challenge Trophy winning the FEARA Pairs and FEARA Four-men. The Madras Boat Club finished runner-up.