PO Box 38154, Tallahassee, FL 32315  
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REGATTAS

The regatta season consists of a fall and spring season. Varsity rowers attend 2-3 regattas in the fall while freshmen practice for a very busy spring with one fall regatta, Sunrise Sprints in Orlando in November. Both the freshmen and varsity teams attend races throughout the spring culminating in the State Championship and the Southeast Regional Championship. Selected rowers compete at Nationals.

The following are guidelines for regattas. We ask parents and rowers to read this together and adhere to these guidelines during the year. Please contact the Regattas Operations Committee if you have any questions.

Regatta Information

Prior to each regatta, information concerning transportation, lodging, departure time, approximate return time, phone numbers, and directions to the regatta and hotel will be posted on the Capital City Rowing website.

Transportation

Rowers ride to and from out of town regattas on very comfortable motor coaches, usually with TV’s and video equipment. The captains bring PG-13 movies for viewing on the trip. Rowers can bring PG-13 movies to view on the bus.

No movie with an R rating plays on the bus video equipment.

The travel experience is an integral part of building group and team cohesiveness. There may be occasions that rowers will not travel with the team and the following special procedures apply.

Capital City Rowing expects rowers to travel to and from regattas with the team.

  • If the rower does not travel to a regatta with the team, give notification to the coaches and the Regattas Operations Committee prior to the travel day.
  • If the rower leaves a regatta with a parent or guardian, the parent or guardian must sign the rower out at the regatta site. A sign out sheet will be available at the tent or trailer.
  • If the rower leaves a regatta with an adult 21 years of age or older other than a parent or guardian, prior arrangements by written notice to the Regattas Operations Committee must be made or the rower will not be allowed to leave the group.

Under no circumstance is a rower to leave the group without an adult 21 years of age or older.

Please note return times and be at the pickup location promptly to pick up your rower. Chaperones are required to stay until the last rower is gone from the bus drop off.

Regatta Site

Capital City Rowing and other rowing teams set up tents at the regatta venue, usually near the water. The tents are the center of support operations for rowers and coaches. A training table is set up for rowers. Parents and/or guardians set up chairs and watch regatta events. This is normally the best place from which to observe and keep track of regatta events. The tent is a good place to get to know other parents and learn about the sport of rowing.

The boat trailer, carries the team’s shells (or boats), parks at the regatta site, and is the focus of rowing operations for the rowers and coaches. The boat trailer and boat docks are like the sideline of a football or soccer game or the dugout at a baseball game. Rowers and coaches stay focused on preparing for and debriefing from intense competitive events. At the completion of the regatta, parents, rowers, and coaches may gather at the boat trailer.

Parents and/or guardians should not expect coaches or rowers to engage in casual conversation at the trailer or boat docks during regattas.

Rowers may launch (put their boats in the water) up to an hour before their race. They have to row to the start line and line up with other boats in the event. Each race can last 5-8 minutes, depending on the event.

After the races, tents come down, boats de-rigged, trash picked up, and all personal belongings accounted for. The team accomplishes this. Rowers may board the bus after this is complete and the captains give the okay.

Food

Regatta fees include food for the rowers on race day. This includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Please remind and encourage your rower to drink plenty of fluids prior to the race and at the race site. Rowers should have a water bottle with them at every regatta.

Most regattas require that the rowers leave on the Friday before a Saturday regatta due to traveling and rigging time.

Rowers are responsible for food on Fridays or for the late dinner after the regattas on Saturdays.

Please send money to cover these expenses. Generally, rowers stop at a mall with a choice of restaurants in the food court. Rowers can shop in the mall with a designated time to meet the chaperones and coaches and leave for the hotel. Rowers may not order food in the hotel after check-in.

Chaperones

Parents serve as chaperones to, from, and during out of town regattas. Responsibilities include setting up and cleaning up food during the races, keeping an eye on belongings during the day, taking head counts on the buses, supervising rowers, and doing bed checks at the hotel. Chaperones should confer with the Regattas Operations Committee and/or the lead chaperone for specific duties and responsibilities. Chaperones must fill out a Parent Volunteer Form with the Leon County School System prior to chaperoning or volunteering in any way for Capital City Rowing.

What to Bring

  • Rowers – BRING UNIFORMS (uni’s), sunscreen, towel, extra socks, change of clothes, warm-ups, and hat. Books, cards, magazines, CD players, I pods, and similar items help pass the time before and after races and on the bus. Most athletes bring a pillow and light blanket or beach towel. Generally, rowers will need money for two fast food stops: one traveling to the regatta, one returning from the regatta. Check the website for details. Additional cash for purchasing regatta t-shirts or extra food is recommended.
  • Parents – Bring lawn chairs, binoculars, sunscreen, camera, food, and drinks. Most regattas are all day affairs and there may be few food vendors, so plan accordingly. There is a “parent’s table” at the regatta, with treats and supplies generously provided by parent volunteers. Parking is often a shuttle ride away and can cost $10-$15 in cash.