Tips & Tricks

Regatta day, done well

A regatta rewards the prepared. Here's how our athletes — and the people cheering them on — get the most out of a race day.

For Athletes · The Bag

Race like you packed last night

A regatta is a lot of time on land — eating, rigging boats, eating, loading the trailer, eating, cheering on teammates, and eating. There is usually no private place to change, and the only bathrooms are porta-potties. Pro tip: porta-potties do not get any better during the course of the day. Pack accordingly, the night before:

  • Dry clothes to change into — including lots of warm socks, and clothing that's easy to get on and off without much privacy.
  • More fleece than you think — plus a hat and gloves. Warm-up gear goes back ON the moment you're off the water.
  • Flip-flops or slides — they speed up dock-in and dock-out times.
  • Rain gear and boots — the trailer and dock areas get muddy, and rain boots can make an amazing difference to the day.
  • Plastic bags inside the bag — dry clothes don't help if the bag sat in the rain for four hours. Keep dry things dry, and separate wet from dry.
  • Real food and a full water bottle — race day runs on what you eat, all day long.
  • Boats before everything — rig, launch, race, de-rig, load. Nobody's day is over until the trailer is packed, and everyone loads it together.
For Families

The art of spectating

This is an outdoor sport on a surface that changes by the hour — weather that's merely inconvenient for soccer can be unsafe for rowing, so schedules adjust. Plan on race day being all day, and be pleasantly surprised when it isn't. And somewhere in a decade of rowing, almost every family loads the trailer, drives hours, and never rows a stroke because of weather. Flexibility and patience are part of the sport.

  • The 10-degree rule — if it's cold at home, it will be ten degrees colder at the race; if it's hot at home, ten degrees hotter. Dress in layers with waterproof coats, boots, warm hats, and gloves; in hot weather, hat, sunscreen, and bug spray are a must.
  • Bring the kit — a folding chair, coffee, a good book, and a camera with a long lens or binoculars.
  • Arrive early — parking fills fast and is often a walk from the course. The email before each trip has specifics.
  • Watch from the bends — the best viewing on a head race is where the river turns, and at the finish. Ask a veteran parent; they know every course.
  • Remember she arrives hours before her race — to unload the trailer, rig, stretch, and row to the start. See her after, not before: post-race she's all yours — tired, hungry, and glowing.
  • Cheer for every pink blade — enthusiastic cheering for your own team is not just allowed, it's encouraged.
The PA Tent

An army marches on its stomach

The Parents' Association does an enormous amount, often in the background — and never more visibly than on regatta day, when the PA tent keeps every athlete fed and sheltered from first arrival to trailer-loaded. None of it happens without a generous, can-do spirit.

Every parent is expected to play an active role, and there are tasks for everyone — flipping burgers, hauling coolers, holding down the tent in a gust. It is also, reliably, the fastest way to make friends on this team. Find the tent, introduce yourself, and you'll have your people by lunch.

Race day smiles at the regatta site

Where we race this fall

Six race days, from the season opener in Schenectady to the closer at Port Washington.

The regatta guide