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as the examiner Wodnooday August 1979 Reg gjta 79 Water fun competition for everyone Water sports Well thats for the athletic type Im going to the art show Not so not so the regatta activities for 1979s Kempenfest have water competition for every family member The non swimmer can take part in the hilarious forfun continuous Great Water Walk the sailor has number of com petitive events to test skills the daredevil can take to the open seas with water ski races canoe competitions or windsurlt fing The swimmer can compete in the annual Cross The Bay swim traditionally the kickoff to regatta at Kempentest in Barrie August and Brainchild of the Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce Barries summer regatta is Whether its sailing above or just cooling off in the water Regatta weekend has something for everyone probably the oldest summer ac tivity in the community having begun in the mid1800s There is so much planned by the Regatta Committee that patrons will have to be selec tive if theyre going to take in everything at the three day summer extravaganza taking place largely on Barries water front ROSS BAY SWIM Saturday kicks off the Iross the Bay Swim Sponsored by Georgian Mall this 2000 metre race from Minets point to Government Dock offers classes in junior senior and masters with trophies and rib bons plus awards to oldest and youngest swimmers to com plete the course Last years winner was shawas Heather Fenton while Randy Robert of Barrie took first place in 1976 and 77 Robert Smith of Elmvale has crossed the bay successfully five different times Twenty swimmers participated last year and organizers are expec ting at least that many for 1979 Entrants must have only one quality the ability to swim The Windsurfing Regatta will be held from 12 noon to pm Saturday and Sunday and coin petition is by weight of contes tant rather than age or sex An Olympic course for this popular new sport will be mark ed in three legs from Big Bay Point to Centennial Park covering distance of 700 metres Competitors have entered from Collingwood Peterborough and Toronto and its expected that at least 30 surfers will enter this event best seen from Centennial Beach Anyone wishing to register may do so at the beach from to 11 am on surfing day On all three festival days in vitational sailing for small sailboats will be part of regatta activities From 10 am to pm 47 and metre sailboats will compete in short races on Kempenfelt Bay six legs per race of threequarters of mile each Two people man each boat and since this activity is compulsory for Olympic points accumulation good turnout of 60 to 75 entries is expected Invitational sailing joins Kempenfest for the first time this year though the races have been held in Barrie before The sailing activity is best seen from Kempenfelt Park Boating and water sports on beautiful Kempenfelt Bay are part of regatta during Kempenfest weekend August 46 in Barrie Kite flyers soar over CentennialPark At 230 pm Saturay pm Sunday and pm Monday North Americas top kite flying demonstrators will be soaring over Centennial Park Joe Katsafaras and Volomso from Miohigan will be returning to Kempenfest and should provide lot of thrills Take off point will be the CNR station and kite flying can be best enjoyed from Centennial Park The half hour show is sponsored by Molsons Sailboat enthusiasts will en joy the pageantry of the Barrie Yacht Clubs Sailpast schedul ed for pm Saturday August in front of Centennial Park The Yacht Club Commodore will take the traditional salute and the club expects to present 40 different sailboats to the public Sailors can also enjoy the challenge of nighttime naviga tion as the Yacht Club sponsors an overnight sailing race leav Jng Barrie at pm Saturday Ron we age The water walk one of the fun events at regatta Ann Arbour August The course runs from Barrie to Fox Island to the north end of Lake Simcoc and sailors are expected to arrive back in Barrie Sunday morn ing This is an open competition and adds extra flavor to regatte activities Sunday at 12 noon marathon canoe races begin from Centen nial Park with five different classes in competition Pad dling standard canoes com petitors begin in the novice class thats anyone who hasnt competed before junior age 15 and under couples mens amateur and pro racing divi sions These races begin from 12 noon to 130 pm with the prorace new event sponsored with locally donated cash awards This event is sponsored by the Barrie Canoe Club which is eager for young people to try out this sport At pm Sunday spectators can enjoy the hilarity of Kempenfests annual Under water hariot Race at Centeni nial Park project of the Bar rie Subaquians the race con sists of three costumed team members and chariot working their way around 100 metre course under water Pan ticipants are scuba divers of course and last year eight teams participated This event is sponsored by ooper Tool and Royal Trust with trophies to winning team and best costumed driver Monday August secs water ski slalom races off Kempenfelt Park Sponsored by Green and Ross Tire Store all classes will receive trophies There should be 40 entries with participants from the Barrie area and any skier is welcome to register for the event which begins at 10 am Kempenfest sightseers may want to be in Centennial Park around pm on Monday August because thats when the historic 25foot fur trading canoes will make their racing finish to Barries beach Its the annual Radio Shack Challenge Voyageur Canoe Race and the Barrie Canoe Club is out to win the trophy back from Orillia The club and the Chamber have just com pleted construction on our own Voyageur canoe Les Crow of Lakefield Ontario is expected to provide stiff competition for August 46 on Kempenfelt Bay the Weaver Brothers of Kirkfield winners for four dif ferent years The canoes Wlll be slipping into the water at Couchichiiig Park in Orillia at 12 noon and should complete the 27 mile race within four hours Monday at pm sees Challenge Cup Sailing spon sored by Storer Sails The Kempenfelt Bay competition is open to any sailboat of any class and the triangular course will be awarded for five dill compete in this event Its spon runs between the acht lub ferent classes and its expected sored by the Barrie Yacht lub and Government Dock Prizes that at least 30 sailboats will and the Chamber of Commerce Kempenfest aquatic fun means top competition ly KlZN wiis Willi Kempcnfest coming up soon August through which provides three days of eciting water events it should be in tcrcsting to know that for many many years Harrie took foremost place in Upper Canada for aquatics Kempenfelt Bay has been the scene of important regattas In 1878 and £80 the fastest scullers in the world competed in events lasting two and three days Bleachers were erected on the waterfront extending from Bayfield St east almost to arleys boathouse Thousands of visitors many from the USA watched Edward Hanlan the world champion llaistead ourtenay and other noted scullers perform Barrie produced two very fast scullers George and May who participated in many an aquatic event And rillia sent us JakeGaudaur Bob lerry the black heavy weight sculler of Chicago competed on the Barrie cous as did William connor another worlds champion There was also fleet of sail ing yachts on the bay notably the launtless and the Curlew which were fliers on water speed turlcw was owned by lapt lebtis wealthy Englishman One of the crew was Andy Parson noted Ran rie eiticn whose residence was on Small St tlatcr renamed larkside Ir because it bordered Queens Park The GBC of feature in cludes racing aqua demonstrations kitetlying voyageur canoe races wind surfing etcetera Since we are on the water must relate that Harrie excell ed in swimming at one time mainly in more recent postwar days The feats of Margaret Gribble brought much recogni tion to this town She never tasted defeat in Kempenfelt Bay despite racing against many top male swimmers She was strict conscientious distance competitor ould cover the distance from Baytield dock to Allandale dock and back in 35 minutes In all Margarets racing she never finished out of the money When age 20 she par ticipated at Cleveland Ohio in 1937 It was the Bernard McFadden event at the Great Lakes Exposition She was the lone Canadian entry That race marked her 40th pro and amateur event and she finished Hill to receive $50 Also in 1937 she competed In the womens IllltOrlllllt marathon swnn at the Canadian ational Ev hibiton and finished titll as she did in same event year before at CNE They Margaret the Canadian chant wa rded pionsliip as first anadian to cross the line in liakc ntario Soon after the chamber of commerce was reorganized after World War there £l always committee to handle events on the bay The writer can recall speedboat races of iiiternatonal renown on course laid out off St Vincent Park Not particularly suc cessful due to the timing and conflict of interest So there was tried again something of the same nature as the 1880 lays sculling which brought in boat crews from Hamilton St Catherines and such Toronto clubs ad Balmy Beachers and of all things the Argonauts not the football Club This also was staged off Kempenfelt Drive But now Kempenfelt has an ideal location at the heads of bay entennial Park There used to be an annual crossrhay swim usually on ivic Holiday and this was organized and handled by the Kiwanis llub which had in the ezily 30s it pro sports director can remember Hardy llill from Victoria College for instance and Bob rnsby from lnivtrsi of Toronto and all round athlete The bay swimmers of winning vintage included lilton Parker and others whose names requircrcseircli in The Ewiiiincr tilts of ltcitl tif