6 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

If there is a Canadian equivalent of the fabled Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge along the Thames in England, it is the annual Ralmax Group Brown Cup between the ­University of Victoria Vikes and UBC ­Thunderbirds along the Gorge.

 

“It’s the highlight of the year. It’s bigger than nationals,” said UVic men’s head coach Aalbert Van Schothorst.

 

The race, for eights rowing crews, was inaugurated in 1991 with this year’s edition going today along the 3.5-kilometre course from Gorge Narrows to the Steamship Restaurant in the Inner Harbour. The men’s ­varsity race begins at 1:05 p.m. and the women’s varsity race at 1:25 p.m. The junior varsity races are at 12:05 p.m. for the men and 12:25 for the women. (CHEK TV).

 

 

https://www.timescol...wn-cup-12070036

[Victoria Watcher]

CHEK to broadcast, livestream Brown Cup rowing race this Saturday

 

https://cheknews.ca/...turday-1314363/

[aastra]

I just happened to catch the women's race by chance. Methinks ideally there would be more gimmicks, like seals jumping out to spook the rowers, maybe a big shark fin, etc.

[aastra]

^I'm not saying the floatplane prop coming close to their heads wasn't exciting. I'm just saying they could take it a bit further.

[Tony]

I crossed the Johnson Street Bridge today. There was a man with a super video camera all set up to catch the event. He was sitting comfotably in his chair looking at his phone. I pointed out to him that there was a boat waiting for the bridge to go up resultings in his mad dash to get all his equipment off the brige. Perhaps not a locl?

[Victoria Watcher]

Men:

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 March 2026 - 11:35 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

UBC continued its recent mastery by winning the men’s varsity eight in a comfortable 10 minutes, seven seconds to the Vikes’ 10 minutes, 16 seconds. The UVic men lead the all-time Ralmax Group Brown Cup varsity series 20-13, but have not won since 2018 as the veteran-laden Thunderbirds’ program — they had five graduating fifth-year pullers in their crew — has been in a dominant era.

 

Coach Van Schothorst described his rebuilding Vikes crew, captained by Max Schiller, as one for the future and “respectful but young and excited with lots of ambitious energy.”

 

The Vikes varsity women, meanwhile, hold a commanding 26-7 series lead over UBC, but it’s the Thunderbirds who won their third consecutive Ralmax Group Brown on Saturday with a clocking of 11 minutes, 29 seconds to UVic’s 11 minutes, 37 seconds.

 

 

https://www.timescol...rowing-12071725