File: Canada's Scott Frandsen and Dave Calder, from left, react after winning the Men's Pairs Final at the Rowing World Cup on Lake Rotsee in Lucerne, Switzerland, Sunday, June 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Keystone, Sigi Tischler)Sigi Tischler/The Associated Press
Canadian Olympic silver medallists Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen rowed to victory in the men's pairs Saturday on the opening day of competition at the Holland Beker Regatta.
Victoria's Calder and Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C., finished first with a time of 6:36.16, ahead of an Australians pair who placed second in 6:39.21.
The Canadian lightweight four crew - Winnipeg's Morgan Jarvis, Victoria's Mike Lewis, Tim Myers of Penticton, B.C., and John Sasi of North Delta, B.C. - won decisively in the men's four category in 6:06.95.
"This is a good starting point for the season," said Myers. "It's nice to get a race under our belts."
The Canadian women's eight was second in its final Saturday afternoon in a time of 6:10.97. The Dutch won in front of their home crowd in 6:06.67.
"It is our first international (two kilometre) race of the year, we feel we have a solid platform to start the season," said veteran coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie of London, Ont. "We know the competition is going to be close in the Olympic qualifying year, and we are looking forward to the race tomorrow."
The lightweight men's pair - Rares Crisan of Mississauga, Ont., and Matt Jensen of Innerkip, Ont. - won in 6:40.44. It was a close race with the second-place Dutch pair clocking in at 6:40.66.
"Racing this quickly coming off the plane is never easy and I think a lot of our crews, us included, felt it in the heats this morning," said Crisan. "Even though we haven't spent much time in the pair due to an injury, we put down our best time in calm conditions so I feel we're already off to a stronger start than last year."
In the women's double category, Canadian World champion lightweights Tracy Cameron and Lindsay Jennerich finished second in 7:09.00, to Britons Hester Goodsell and Sophie Hosking (7:07.50).
The Canadian men's double of Fraser Berkhout from St. Catharines, Ont., and Vancouver's Mike Wilkinson won in 6:26.10.
The women's pair of Saskatoon's Carolyn Ganes and Larissa Lagzdins of Burlington, Ont., finished second to a British pair in 7:24.69.