Tom Traverse & the Regatta

Tom Traverse became involved in the Placentia Inter-town Regatta in 1963 when Placentia bought some second hand Regatta boats from St. John's. In 1963, he was asked by a friend to look after the regatta boats and in 1964, he began his coxswain career which lasted until 1973. During his career Tom only missed one year at the races due to an injury. ²

In 1973, a weary, smiling Tom Traverse insisted after he had successfully brought his Naval Facilities crew home first with a time of 9:51 in the championship race at Quidi Vidi Lake, that it was his last year as a coxswain. "This is it .... this is my last year. It's a great way to end," were Tom's farewell words. ³

Here is a list of the first place finishing in the Royal St. John's Regatta which Tom was coxswain. It would be a difficult task to list all races which Tom coxed in Placentia and Harbour Grace:

1973 Amateur Race / NAVFAC/ Police Race/ NAVFAC /Championship

1972 Amateur / NAVFAC/ Midgets/ Brennans

1969 District/ Jerseyside

1968 Amateur/ Southeast, Placentia/ Service Race/ US Naval Facility

1967 Amateur/ Southeast, Placentia/ Juvenile/ Southeast, Placentia

1966 Amateur/ Southeast, Placentia / Club/ Jerseyside/ Armed Services/ US Naval Facility/ Juvenile/ Jerseyside

1965 Amateur/ Southeast, Placentia/ Ladies #1/ Jerseyside Juniors/ Trade/ Jerseyside/ Armed Services/ US Naval Facility/ Juvenile/ Placentia East/ Championship/ Jerseyside

Despite the fact that he was coxswain for the first time in 1964, he steered six winners in the 1965 St. John's Regatta, including the championship race which ended the record six consecutive titles of the William Summers Junior Crew. He added eleven other wins prior to 1973, when he steered three winners, including the champions. While no figures have been compiled, it is creditably estimated that during his hey day, Tom steered more winning crews in the St. John's, Placentia, and Harbour Grace regattas than anybody else. ¹

Tom moved to Jerseyside over forty years ago and earned a great reputation at the Placentia Inter-town Regatta. He also had an outstanding career as a coxswain in the St. John's Regatta. On Wednesday, July 31, 1996, Mr. Traverse was inducted into the Royal St. John's Regatta Hall of Fame. He was nominated by Jack Reardigan, President of the Royal St. John's Regatta Committee. The event was sponsored by Air Canada and held at the Fluvarium in St. John's. ² Jack Reardigan wrote a letter which influenced Tom's induction into the Hall of Fame.

Mr. Traverse's best memory of the races was in 1965, when he took the Jerseyside crew to St. John's. The crew and Tom practised hard and won the championship. This wasn't an easy task since three men of the crew were over forty years of age. That moment was the highlight of Tom's career.

Tom would love to be back at it again because he really loved it and says being recognized for all his efforts is icing on the cake. ²

¹ The Express, July 31, 1996

² Placentia Area Development Association Newsletter, August,1996

³ Evening Telegram, 1973

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