The Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association, along with the Clallam County Family YMCA and the Port Angeles Senior Center, sponsored the first Rowing Regatta Without Water during the 2008 Port Angeles Senior Games Sept. 20-21.

On the women’s side Mari Friend, 64, was one of four experienced rowers from Rat Island Rowing and Sculling Club in Port Townsend to show rookies how to row, finishing with two convincing victories and overall best times of 2:03.7 in the 500-meter sprint and 4:15.7 in the 1,000-meter row.

Club teammates Grace Dumenil, Connie Voight and Bill Schaefer also were first in their age categories.

On the men’s side, John Heilman took the 500-meter sprint men’s title while Joel Hecht took first in the men’s overall 1,000-meter row with a 3:56 mark.

The event attracted 33 rowers; most of them had never rowed before and many never had seen an ergometer (indoor rower), event officials said.

For more information about the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association, call John Halberg at 360-928-3341. For more about local rowing opportunities, call Halberg, D Bellamente at the Port Angeles Senior Center (457-7004) or Tim Tucker at the YMCA (452-9244).

See full results at sequim

gazette.com/sports.