Regatta Survival
A collection of tips and strategies for having the best experience
What is a Regatta?
A Regatta is an organized crew competition, analogous to a match or meet for other sports. We typically race Varsity, JV, and Novice 8-seat and 4-seat men's and women's boats and which boats race at each Regatta will vary. In friendly Regattas with other NSD schools, we sometimes race mixed (men and women) 8-seat boats. All non-friendly Regattas can be found on Regatta Central and each Regatta will have a page with a link to additional information.
How long is a Regatta?
It depends on the number of crew teams / clubs competing and the number of boats and the events we enter (ex: varsity men, varsity women, novice men, novice women). Smaller regattas may run 2-4 hours, while longer regattas may run most of the day or multiple days.
Regatta Coaches and Coxswains Meeting
All regattas have a Coaches and Coxswains meeting. This meeting is typically first thing in the morning before the regatta begins and very often when it is still dark! This is a critical meeting as course rules and markings are discussed. Warm clothing and caffeine can lighten the experience.
Home Regattas
Each season we have 1-2 "friendly" Regattas with other teams. Home Regattas launch from the Kenmore boathouse or Log Boom Park, and races are best viewed from the Log Boom Park pier. The hospitality tent for rowers will be located at the launching area. For home regattas, rowers typically need to arrive at the boathouse less than 1 hour from regatta start time, but coaches will provide specifics to the team. Most parents drop their rowers at the boathouse and then drive to Log Boom Park. Depending on when your rower races, you may have time to go home between drop-off and their race or run some errands.
Away Regattas
Boats are disassembled for travel (de-rigged) and loaded onto the trailer the practice prior to the race (typically Friday afternoons). A parent volunteer trailers the boats to/from the Regatta.
The Boosters, via NSD bus, provide bus transportation to some of our away Regattas. Rowers will need to be dropped off at IHS, sometimes as early as 4:00 AM depending on how far away the Regatta is. The bus will leave on-time so we recommend arriving 15 mins early. Many rowers sleep on the bus there and back. The team must arrive at the Regatta in time for the coxswain meeting and need time to re-rig the boats.
Head Races - Fall Season
Boats for head races (Fall Season) are sent out in “flights.” In between flights the officials take a short break, some boat traffic clears, and it also allows for teams to “hot seat” rowers (exchanging rowers in a boat for a new race) as needed. Races are 3,000 to 5,000 meters long (12-25 mins) and boats are sent out in a time-trail basis 10-15 seconds apart. Courses have many turns and often bridges.
Sprint Races- Spring Season
Spring season races are usually 2,000 meters long (6-8 mins) and in a straight line. Boats here are sent off in groups of 4-6 side-by-side down the course.
Regatta Results
You can watch Regatta results come in near real-time on HereNow and searching for the Regatta by name. Afterwards, RegattaCentral and the regatta website will have race results linked if available.
What is a Penalty?
In addition to the actual racing, jockeying of boats, and navigating the course, there are all sorts of things that can go wrong in a head race. Since boat mayhem is not safe for anyone, there are associated “penalties” assigned if boats do not adhere to the rules. For the most egregious violations, boats are DQ’d from the event, but otherwise a time penalty is added to their raw time.
The various offenses are dependent on the regatta, but usually:
- Profanity (anyone on team) -- disqualification
- Late to the start - 10"
- Missing bow number (displaying the lane number assigned for a race) - 10"
- Failure to yield to a pass- 30"
- Interference with another crew - 30-60"
- Miss single buoy - 60"
- Miss more than one buoy - disqualification
- Safety violation (e.g., crossing course) - disqualification
Pack the Night Before
Help your rower prepare the first time but encourage them to be independent in their sport. They should only carry 1-2 bags with their things – with lots of rowers it can get very chaotic and personal items often get lost. Packing should be done the night before for the most part.
Dress for anything
Most regattas are generally casual events, so prepare the way you would for any sustained outdoor sporting event. No matter the time of year, a long regatta day can have all types of weather. The better you prepare, the more you’ll enjoy the day. Mornings are almost always very cool or cold and sometimes it’s a long day in the rain and wind. Take plenty of layers and warm socks. A change of clothes or shoes are often needed if it’s raining. There is often mud even without rain. Bring a hat and a good pair of sunglasses – if the sun does come out you’ll be looking at water and the reflection can be very strong.
The Hospitality Tent
Spectator tents are typically positioned on or near the race-course. Look for the Inglemoor Crew flag at your first regatta. The tent provides a great opportunity to socialize and get to know other team parents during the long race days. Although food is not provided by the team, parents/families contribute to a selection of food throughout the day for the athletes and parents. We will need everyone's contribution to feed 100-200 people (athletes & parents) throughout the day so no one goes hungry. Just prior to a regatta, an e-mail sign-up will go out with suggested items/quantities. The tent is equipped with a basics such as napkins, plates, cups, etc.
Restrooms are often porta-potties so come prepared with toilet paper and hand-sanitizer if you prefer.
How to watch the races
We keep a whiteboard in our tent to find race times. Your rower will walk with their boat down to the launch area about an hour before the race. If you go to that area to take photos, be careful to not get too near the boats and rowers as it can create confusion and distraction for the kids. During a head race, in the next 45-60 minutes their boat will be off in the distance beyond what you can usually see. You will need binoculars to see the boats when they come down the course until the last 500 meters. Be sure to cheer them on as they do hear us from the boat! You will soon learn that taking pictures can be disappointing without a strong telephoto lens at some of the regattas where the kids are far away. Video cameras are also great to use as well, as the kids really like seeing their boat and can use the video as a learning tool as well.
What to do the rest of the day
Regattas are almost always very long days. The best way to pass the time is to volunteer and socialize with other parents. We need help with set-up and tear down, with food prep and service at the trailer where the kids are, and there is cleaning up as well. Sometimes parents are needed to run errands (pick up coffee, sandwiches, etc.). We will ask for volunteers before races via email if help is needed. Bring a chair, a blanket and even a book or computer to pass the time. At some locations there are great trails and paths for walking or running (Mercer Lake is excellent for this).
Regatta T-shirts / Sweatshirts for Purchase
Most large regattas sell T-shirts and other rowing gear. If you’re interested, buy early as they run out of sizes by the afternoon. Most accept Venmo and/or Paypal.
What to bring - Rowers, Coxswains, & Parents
Rowers - Clothing
- Uniform: Inglemoor Tank (given out on picture day) + Black trou/compression shorts + team visor
- Layering long sleeve tech shirts (black only)
- Layering long pants (spandex) (black only)
- Warm pants (off-water clothes)
- Fleece/Warm jacket
- Raingear
- Hat for cold
- Socks: at least one pair per race plus one for travel home, minimum 3-4 pairs (wool or synthetic works best, not cotton)
- Gloves (for off-water use only)
- Shoes for launching boat (sandals/crocs)
- Running shoes (will get muddy/dirty)
- Rain boots (as needed)
- Sunglasses (polarized works best)
Rowers - Personal Items
- Reusable Water Bottle- Filled with water
- Prescriptions (Epi-pen, Inhaler, etc.)
- Chapstick
- Sunscreen
- Glasses/contacts and solution
- Feminine hygiene products
- Kleenex and Toilet Paper (regatta bathrooms sometimes run out)
- Rowing tape + blister treatment supplies
Rowers - Other Items
- Garbage bags for wet gear + for covering bag in rain
- Food for the day (boosters will note what food will be provided)
- Water/electrolyte drinks
- Homework
- Headlamp
- Watch (optional)
- Hand/feet warmers
- Blankets
- Card games/board games/book, etc., for down time
- Picnic blanket/tarp to sit on
- Camp chair
- Cell phone/battery pack/cords
Coxswains (addtl. to rowers)
- Rain pants (REI and Patagonia are great)
- Rain jacket
- Sunglasses (Oakleys work great)
- Many layers
- Complete change of clothes
- Towel
- Wrenches (7/16th) (optional)
- Fanny pack with tape, band-aids, wrenches, etc) (optional)
- Waterproof phone cover
- Waterproof watch
- Voice recorder (optional)
- Visor or hat
Parents
- Coffee mug
- Water bottle
- Snack / drinks
- Cow bell (for long-distance cheering)
- Cash for parking + money for regatta souvenirs, etc.
- Portable phone charge/power cords
- Inglemoor Crew Swag
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Rain gear (including an umbrella)
- Layers of clothing
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Binoculars
- Camera
- Chair & blankets
- Directions to the regatta