The clouds parted, the sun came out and cries of "You Gotta Regatta!" reverberated from Saint Mary's Lake Saturday afternoon as Fisher Hall hosted the 25th Annual Fisher Regatta. The chilly waters and bitter winds didn't deter 22 men's teams and 18 women's teams from entering this year's competitive boat race that pitted residence hall teams against each other in a single elimination men's and women's bracket tournament.
"We made an effort to make this year's regatta the biggest and best yet," junior race commissioner and Fisher resident Kevin Bell said. "We only have one rule this year and that is: fun is mandatory but floating is not."
Hall residents mustered their creativity and scavenged for materials to design and build their vessels — some more seaworthy than others.
"Our goal is just not to sink," Ryan freshman Pearl Banchuin said, standing by her hall's vessel which consisted of inner tubes and an assortment of floating devices. "We spent about five hours making the boat and put a lot of spirit into it, but you can't sink spirit."
Residents of Dillon had a like-minded attitude when they constructed their enormous 10-person "Paying Doo$" boat that towered high above the other vessels.
"We're just a couple guys who lost last year and are trying to stay afloat this year," Dillon sophomore John Clohisy said. "We're going more for shock factor than first place."
Siegfried teammates also entered their craft simply to join in the fun of the event.
"We are hoping to make it 20 yards if we're lucky," Michael Isaacs said of his team's air mattress that served as their boat. "We probably spent about 15 minutes on this — five minutes driving to Goodwill, five minutes driving back and five minutes blowing up the air mattress."
Other teams entered the race with the desire to win and their substantial efforts were reflected in the vessels.
"We spent about 30 hours planning and painting," Pasquerilla East Hall sophomore Katie Rose said. "We plan on rowing like champions today and think we're strong contenders."
In an effort to return to the winner's circle this year, Fisher Hall entered the competition with seven boats, ranging from speedy canoes to a large party barge made of empty beer kegs — four of which made it to the elite final eight.
While none of these halls' vessels ultimately made it to the final round, their boats and competitive spirits enlivened the atmosphere of the Regatta and made for fierce competition as the teams competed for the crown.
In the women's bracket, Badin Hall beat McGlinn Hall to take home the trophy. On the men's side, Knott Hall squeaked by O'Neill Hall in a close finish that saw a wild and cheering crowd on its feet for the final yards of the race.
"In the end, the Regatta is all about having fun," Bell said. "There was a great turn out, great weather, free drinks, more food than ever and everyone had a great time coming together."
