Our squads regularly compete in regional and national regattas. Regattas for the year are posted by the Head Coach on our web site, as well as at the boathouse. SLRC sponsors the Gateway Regatta on Creve Coeur Lake each June; clubs from all around the Midwest regularly attend this regatta. Every winter the Club also hosts the St. Louis Indoor Rowing Championships to cap off the indoor season. In April each year, the St. Louis Sprints Regatta is held at Creve Coeur Lake; this event is specifically for Junior rowers and typically begins the spring rowing season. A regatta consists of a series of races (or events) conducted over a period of a day, or sometimes several days. Summer races for Masters are typically 1,000-meter sprints, while fall “head” races average 4,000-6,000 meters. A typical regatta will have races for men and women in various age brackets, experienced rowers and novices, scullers and sweep rowers, in a variety of boat configurations. The possible number of combinations is almost endless. The particular races that are scheduled vary from regatta to regatta and are established by the organizers. If the number of entries in an event is large enough, heats and semi-final races may be required prior to the final race for first place. Races start every 8-10 minutes all day long during a regatta. It’s not unusual for an individual rower to compete in two or three events in a regatta, or even in one day. Medals are normally awarded to the winners in each event category.  Early each season, the Head Coach decides which regattas to enter. A sign-up sheet is posted at the boathouse, and athletes are required to commit to attending a regatta at least six weeks prior to the event; the Coach will clearly state the sign-up deadline. Once athletes have made their commitments, the Coach determines boat line-ups and which races to enter; athletes planning to compete are expected to attend at least 2/3 of the scheduled practices leading up to that regatta. All athletes are required to wear the team uniform when competing. For Novices (those in their first year of rowing), the uniform is a red short-sleeve Henley shirt with navy trim and logo. These shirts are available for purchase from Sew Sporty, www.sewsporty.com. The Masters uniform is a navy & red unisuit and a navy “JL” shirt with red trim. Orders for these made-to-fit uniforms are placed directly with JL Racing, www.jlracing.com. The Masters’ Travel Coordinator reserves a block of hotel rooms prior to each regatta. S/he then coordinates room assignments and carpool arrangements for the weekend, as well as any plans for a group dinner outing (typically Saturday evening). For a two-day weekend regatta, the activities start the evening before departure (usually a Thursday): those athletes participating in the regatta are expected to assist with derigging boats and loading the team truck and trailer with all the necessary equipment. Each carpool determines its own departure times on Friday. Upon arrival, athletes will assist the coaches with unloading and rigging boats. Racing takes place all day on Saturday and at least half of Sunday. Even if an athlete completes his/her races early on the second day, all are expected to stay until the last team races have finished, in order to assist with derigging boat and loading equipment; athletes usually get home late on Sunday evening.  Competitors pay their own transportation (usually carpool), food, and lodging expenses at these events. Each athlete is also responsible for his/her share of boat-towing costs and entry fees; entry fees are typically $15-30 per athlete per race entered by that athlete. Coaches’ expenses (transportation and lodging) are also paid by the athletes on a prorated basis. These fees are calculated by the Masters Treasurer, who will notify each athlete of his/her share of these shared expenses. Each athlete then sends a check, payable to SLRC Masters, to the Masters Treasurer. For a typical two-day/two-night regatta, such as Head of the Hooch, an athlete should expect to spend $200-300 total for the weekend. |
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St. Louis Rowing Club PO Box 411094, St. Louis, MO 63141 314-434-8299 |
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