Royal Thomian Regatta
Encyclopedia
The event generally known as Royal Thomian Regatta or The Regatta is the annual rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 race between Royal College, Colombo  and S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia having begun in 1962 as the Royal Thomian Boat Race that evolved into a regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...

 in 1966 and now is made up of 8 events.

The races are rowed over a distance of 1000 yards and take place on the Beira Lake
Beira Lake
Beira Lake is a lake in the heart of the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The lake is surrounded by many important businesses in the city. It occupied approximately 165 hectares of land 100 years ago and has been reduced to mere 65 hectares today due to various reasons. During the colonial era of the...

 in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

. The regatta takes place in the month of October and is usually held on the last Saturday of the month at the Colombo Rowing Club. The Royal Thomian Regatta is the oldest inter-school rowing regatta in Sri Lanka, with Royal the first school to take up school rowing in the country.

The Boat Race is still regarded as the most prestigious race. The Boat Race is rowed for the Royal Thomian Boat Race Trophy(Also know to rowing fraternity as the 'Crossed Oars'). The Overall winner of the Regatta is awarded the T. Noel Fernando Memorial Trophy.

Having begun in 1962 'The Regatta' is the 3rd oldest sporting encounter between Royal College and S. Thomas' College
Royal-Thomian rivalry
Royal–Thomian Rivalry refers to the competition, both in academics and sports between Royal College Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia. Both schools have rich histories of academic excellence, as well as sport competition and school pride...

, after the Battle of the Blues Cricket Encounter
Royal-Thomian
The Royal–Thomian , the annual cricket match between Royal College, Colombo and S...

 and Rugby Encounter.

History

Royal College first began rowing in 1955 as the first school in Ceylon to do so, the first Captain was Alavi Mohomed. S. Thomas' College began rowing a few years later.

In the years to follow the idea of a race between the two schools was agreed upon and in 1962 the 1st Boat Race was held on the Beira Lake and the Royalist's led by L.A.W. Sirisena beat the Thomians led by C.N. Sirimanne by 1 boat length and were the first holders of the Boat Race Trophy.
S. Thomas won their first Boat Race in 1964 beating Royal by 3 lengths.

In 1966, the 1st Royal Thomian Regatta was held with a line-up of 6 events. Coxed Fours, Coxed Pairs, Single Sculls in two categories Senior and Junior.

Between 1973 and 1979 the regatta was not held due to a dispute between the two schools.
The series was revived in 1980 and continues to the present except in 2006 when the regatta was not held.

In 2007 the Royal College led by Maalik Aziz created history by winning all races and winning the Overall Trophy with a margin of 40 points to nil. Royal College created new record timings for most events including lowering the Boat Race Trophy record by 8 secs to 3 mins 11 secs.
In 2008, history was written yet again although in a different manner with every record being broken as a result of tough competition on either side. Though S'Thomas College led by Manil Salgadoe and Devaan Hallock made most of the records including the Boat race(3.06), Royal college too managed to scrape in two records to stay in the count(Junior coxed Fours, Junior 'B' Coxed Fours).

Race Format

All Races are rowed over the distance of 1000 yards.

Each event has specific number of points allotted towards it the aggregate points is equal 40 points (up to 2008), the winner of the each event/race receives these points and at the end of the regatta the school with the highest aggregate of points will be declared the Overall Winner and be the holders of the T. Noel Fernando Trophy.
Event Notation Points Trophy
Boat Race A4+ 12 Royal Thomian Boat Race Trophy
Senior Coxless Pairs A2- 8 Freddie Ruax Trophy
Senior Double Sculls A2x 8 Inaugural Trophy (Sirisena-Sirimanne Trophy)
Senior Single Sculls A1x 6 Senior Sculls Challenge Trophy
Junior Coxed Fours B4+ 8 Eraj Wijesinghe Trophy
Junior Coxless Pairs B2- 4 Chula Samarasinghe Challenge Trophy
Junior Double Sculls B2x 4 Revival Trophy (Phillps- Mohdeen Trophy)
Junior Single Sculls B1x 2 Ajith Goonawardena Challenge Trophy


In 1999, The Junior 'B' Coxed Fours was introduced but the event carries no points.
Junior 'B' Coxed Fours C4+ None Percy Fernando Trophy


In 2008, Senior and Junior Double Sculls will be introduced as exhibition events. In 2009 Senior and Junior Double Sculls were awarded 8 and 4 points respectively, with inclusion of the two doubles sculls the overall regatta will be worth 52 points.

Boat Race

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{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! School !! Wins !!
|-
| style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Royal || 19
|-
| style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas|| 23
|}


{| border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
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{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Year !! Winner !! Time !! Royal Wins !!S. Thomas' Wins|| Boat and Class !! Overall Winner
|-
| 1962 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:35 || 1 || 0||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| 1963 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 4:04.5 || 2 || 0|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1964 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:45.5 || 2 || 1|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1965 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:55.8 || 2 || 2|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| 1966 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:55 || 2 || 3|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1967 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:55 || 2 || 4|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1968 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:47 || 3 || 4|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| 1969 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:56.5 || 4 || 4|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| 1970 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:48.8 || 5 || 4||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| 1971 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:52.5 || 5 || 5|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| 1972 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:47 || 6 || 5|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| 1973–1979 ||| Regatta not held || || || ||
|-
| 1980 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || || 6 || 6|| Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1981 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:49 || 7 || 6||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1982 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:47 || 8 || 6||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1983 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:40 || 8 || 7||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1984 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:47 || 8 || 8||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1985 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:40 || 9 || 8||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1986 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:29 || 9 || 9||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1987 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:38 || 10 || 9||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1988 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:40 || 11 || 9||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1989 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:58 || 11 || 10||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1990 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:37 || 12 || 10||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1991 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:37 || 12 || 11||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1992 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:?? || 13 || 11||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1993 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:35.4 || 14 || 11||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1994 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:42 || 14 || 12||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1995 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:38 || 14 || 13||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1996 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:38 || 14 || 14||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden
|-
| 1997 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:32 || 14 || 15||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| 1998 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:39 || 15 || 15||Clinker Fours/Training-Wooden ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| 1999 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:21 || 15 || 16||Empacher Fours/Racing-Wooden||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| 2000 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:20 || 16 || 16||Empacher Fours/Racing-Wooden||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| 2001 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:22 || 17 || 16||Empacher Fours/Racing-Wooden||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| October 26, 2002 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:21 || 17 || 17||Empacher Fours/Racing-Wooden||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| October 25, 2003 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:26 || 17 || 18||Empacher Fours/Racing-Wooden|| Tie
|-
| October 30, 2004 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:20 || 17 || 19||Empacher Fours/Racing-Wooden||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| October 29, 2005 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:19 || 17 || 20||Empacher Fours/Racing-Wooden || Tie
|-
| 2006 ||| Regatta not held || || || ||
|-
| October 27, 2007 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 3:11 || 18 || 20||Club Racers/Racing-Fiberglass||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| October 25, 2008 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:06 || 18 || 21||Club Racers/Racing-Fiberglass||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| October 24, 2009 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:02 || 18 || 22||Club Racers/Racing-Fiberglass||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
| October 23, 2010 ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas || 3:07 || 18 || 23||Club Racers/Racing-Fiberglass||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|-
| October 22, 2011 ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal || 2:55* || 19 || 23||International/Racing-Fiberglass||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"| Royal
|}
{| border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
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{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!Event !!Trophy !!Royal College !!S' Thomas' College !!Tie ||
|-
|Boat Race||Boat Race Trophy||19 ||23||
|-
|Junior Fours||Eraj Wijesinghe Trophy||16||15||
|-
|Senior Pairs||Freddie Raux Trophy||16||09||
|-
|Senior Sculls||Senior Sculls Challenge Trophy||08||12||01
|-
|Junior Pairs||Chula Samarasinghe Challenge Trophy||10||05||
|-
|Junior Sculls||Ajith Goonawardena Challenge Trophy||06||08||
|-
|Senior Double Sculls||Inaugural Trophy(Sirisena-Sirimanne Trophy)||02||01||
|-
|Junior Double Sculls||Revival Trophy (Mohdeen-Phillips Trophy)||02||01||
|-
|||||||||
|-
|Junior B Fours||Percy Fernando Memorial Trophy||06||04||
|}

Most Outstanding Oarsman of the Regatta

The Oarsman with highest individual aggregate of points at the end of the regatta is awarded the
Most Outstanding Oarsman of the Regatta Trophy.

Previous Winners
  • 2001 Talal Shums (RC) -14 points (A4+,B1x)
  • 2002 Tharindu Gunesekara (STC) -20 Points (A4+,A2+)
  • 2003 Isuru Perera (STC) -18 Points (A4+,A1x)
  • 2004 Isuru Perera (STC) -18 Points (A4+,A1x)
  • 2005 Maalik Aziz (RC) -16 Points (B4+,A2-)
  • 2007 Maalik Aziz (RC)(A4+,B2-,A1x) / Dinouk J. Perera (RC) -22 Points (A4+,A2-,B1x)
  • 2008 Devaan Hallock(STC) -22 Points (A4+,A2-,B1x)
  • 2009 Sajeev De Silva(STC) -30 Points (A4+,B2-,A2x,A1x)
  • 2010 Sajeev De Silva(STC) -18 Points (A4+,A1x)
  • 2011 Chirath Karunanayake (RC) -26 Points (A4+,A2x,A1x)


Statistics

Record Times


{| border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!Event !!style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Best Time
Royal !!Year !!style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"|Best Time
S. Thomas' !!Year !!Record holding Crew !!School
|-
|Boat Race|| 2:55*||2011 ||3.02||2009||Chirath Karunanayake(B)Ajmal Sideek(2)Jehan Samarasekara(3)Sanjiva Jayasuriya(S)Pasan Ranaweera(COX) ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Royal
|-
|Junior Fours||3.03*||2011||3.14||2011||Arith Cooray(B)Ishan Perera(2)Sahan Warnasooriya(3)Dulaj Rajaguru(S)Dhanushka Perera(COX)||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Royal
|-
|Senior Pairs||3.12*||2011||3.14||2011||Sahan Warnasooriya(B)Sanjiva Jayasuriya(S) ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Royal
|-
|Senior Sculls||3.28*||2011||3.30||2010||Chirath Karunanayake ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Royal
|-
|Senior Double Sculls||3.12||2009||3.09*||2009||Ruven Weerasinghe(B)Sajeev De Silva(S) ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|-
|Junior Pairs||3.19*||2011||3.19*||2008|| Eshan Goonewardena(B)Ruven Weerasinghe(S) STC/ Arith Cooray(B)Ishan Perera(S) Royal || Joint
|-
|Junior Sculls||3.29*||2011||3.32||2009||Jehan Samarasekara ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Royal
|-
|Junior Double Sculls||3.16*||2009||3.18||2011||Shehan Muthugala(B)Pradeep Maddumabandara(S) ||style="background:#000080; color:#FFD700"|Royal
|-
|Junior B Fours||3.14||2011||3.13*||2011||Chevith Abeywardena(B)Hunaid Munshif(2)Mushahid Hussain(3)Dimuthu Ferdinando(S)Amrith Peiris(COX) ||style="background:#007FFF; color:#000"| S. Thomas
|}

* denotes series record
Won 3 or more Boat Races

S. Thomas'
  • C H L Sirimanne 1965,1966,1967
  • I Perera 2002,2003,2004
  • D De Zoysa 2002,2003,2004
  • D Aluwihare 2003,2004,2005


Royal
  • E R Perera 1968,1969,1970
  • P P Fernando 1969,1970,1972
  • N Samarawickrama 1985,1987,1988

See also

  • Royal College, Colombo
  • S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia
  • Royal-Thomian rivalry
    Royal-Thomian rivalry
    Royal–Thomian Rivalry refers to the competition, both in academics and sports between Royal College Colombo and S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia. Both schools have rich histories of academic excellence, as well as sport competition and school pride...

  • The Royal-Thomian
    Royal-Thomian
    The Royal–Thomian , the annual cricket match between Royal College, Colombo and S...


External links

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