Before You Leave Home
- Check and clean your rower’s uniform by Friday night — don’t discover a muddy, balled-up kit at 5:30 a.m. Saturday.
- Help your rower pack: extra socks, sweatpants, sweatshirt, sleeping bag/blanket, and labeled garbage bags to keep gear dry in the rain.
- Remind your rower to bring their homework — there is a lot of downtime at regattas.
- Mark all clothing and gear with your rower’s name; every regatta ends with a pile of unclaimed items that never find their way home.
- Check regattacentral.com for directions, parking info, race times, and any updates — and check it again close to race day, as things change.
What to Bring for Yourself
- Binoculars — the single best investment you’ll make as a rowing parent; you simply won’t be able to tell the boats apart without them.
- Folding camp chair — spectator seating is often limited.
- Layers of clothing, rain gear, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen — weather by the water shifts quickly, and it’s easy to forget sunscreen when you’re leaving in the dark on an overcast morning. Spring and late fall season require layering. Insulated water canteen essential.
- Sensible shoes — the ground can be muddy, and you may walk significant distances between the team area and the finish line.
- A sleeping bag or blanket for cold, windy days — and a spare one to offer your rower, who almost certainly refused to bring their own.
- Cash for parking fees, which are nearly universal at regattas.
At the Regatta — Staying Safe and Aware
- Yield to boat carriers at all times — shells are heavy and the carriers cannot dodge you. Be ready to step aside and duck.
- Watch out for oars — they extend further than you expect and move quickly.
- Explore the venue: different vantage points may be available depending on the location, though they may require a walk.
Photography
- Good action shots on the water require a telephoto lens (> 200mm) — without one, results are limited.
- Candid shots on land — during warm-ups, trailer unloading, or downtime between races — are often more rewarding.
- WJ Crew is fortunate to have generous parent photographers who share their regatta photos with the whole team.
The Food Tent
- Each rowing family (not each individual) is expected to contribute $20 to $25 (see pre-regatta communications) at every regatta that offers a food tent.
- Can’t attend? Send the $ with your rower.
- Sign up to become a helper at the food tent.
- Please stay to help pack up the chuck wagon and break down the food tent at the end of the day — everyone is tired and wind-burnt, but many hands make light work.
Understanding the Regatta Day Timeline
- Most regattas wrap up around 3–5 p.m. — plan for a full day.
- Rowers cannot leave until the coaches release them, so don’t plan an early exit.
Why Doesn’t My Rower Know Their Boat Assignment Yet?
- Lineups are typically finalized only a few days before the event, based on ongoing performance monitoring.
- Missed practices directly affect placement — coaches can only evaluate what they observe.
- Lineups change frequently; it is a normal and inherent part of competitive rowing, and not something to take personally or worry about.
YOU MIGHT FIND THE FOLLOWING HELPFUL IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT TERMINOLOGY AND TACTICS:
https://www.usrowing.org/About/Rowing101.aspx
Rowing 101, posted on the US Rowing website.
Excellent glossary of rowing terms, for a sport that is full of interesting language. Also, there is a “Viewer’s Guide,” “Race Watching Tips,” and a host of other information to read when you are trying to understand just what your rower is involved in.
https://www.regattacentral.com
This is THE place to find the information on the upcoming races (besides on the WJ Crew website!). This is helpful if you do the following: 1) find the event on the WJ Rowing website; 2) go to Regatta Central and look for the event by date; 3) the page on Regatta Central usually has a lot of information, and should have a link to the website of the event. Either on Regatta Central or on the website of the event will have a list of “who is rowing when” – you should be able to either download or print the spreadsheet.
Results, pictures, Regatta links…it’s all here.
Is a great resource if you want to get to know which boats are from which schools and/or clubs. It can be really difficult to tell, even with binoculars, which are the WJ shells. It also feels as if most of the teams wear black! Knowing that the WJ oar blade is green and white diagonal is helpful too.
September 2026, by Jurgen Heymann
