Baymen clobber Townies




In the first ever Grand Punt Race, Baymen vs. Townies, held in St. John’s harbour this morning, the Baymen annihilated, crushed, and desimated the Townies. Which is fair to say considering the Baywomen’s time was 6 seconds faster then the Townie men over the same course.


Times

Women:
Baymen (Jill Penton, Helen Couves), 29:03:21.
Townies (Donna Connors, Simone Lilly), 30:58:64.

Men:
Baymen (Kevin Purchase, Craig Freake), 22:27:96.
Townie (Brothers Cyril and Kevin Greeley), 29:09:33.
Top 4 reasons that the Townie men —Cyril and Kevin Greeley — gave for losing their race:

1)   We ran into a moose.
2)   That race was our warm up.
3)   We planned it that way — we didn’t want to scare the baymen off.
4)   We stopped at the Keg (restaurant) to sign autographs.

Times

Women:
Townie (Donna Connors, Simone Lilly), 30:58:64.
Baymen (Jill Penton, Helen Couves), 29:03:21.

Men:
Townie (Cyril and Kevin Greeley), 29:09:33.
Baymen (Kevin Purchase, Craig Freake), 22:27:96.

Next year’s race will be even bigger and better — with more teams, and more punts. The Narrows Group would like to thank the following for their contribution to Saturday’s incredibly successful race:

St. John’s Port Authority.
City of St. John’s.
Charlie Anonson.
Mayor Denis O’Keefe.
St. John’s Port Security.
The Canadian Coast Guard.
The Shorefast Foundation.
Colleen Higgins.
Tony Cobb.
The Narrows Group (Mark Hiscock, Joanne Butler, Ryan Cleary).
Rowers.
Volunteers.
Gracie Joe’s.
O’Brien’s Music Store.
Parks Canada.
Shannon Cleary.
The Print Shop.
United Sail Works.
The Rocket.
Mark Wilson.
Maria Glavine. 


Every person who bought a ticket on the traditional Newfoundland punt.

Said Colleen Higgins, co-ordinator of the Shorefast Foundation, organizers of The Great Fogo Island Punt Race, following The Grand Punt Race: “This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”



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