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Tag: Fall rowing
New England Fall Regatta Season Is in Full Swing!
Our annual round-up of key fall rowing races gets an update for 2021
We always look forward to September and October as the glory days of fall rowing in our region. From classic local regattas full of personality and heritage to the global highlight that is the Head of the Charles, there is truly a race for everyone and pretty much one for every weekend, if you just can’t get enough.
As supporters of rowers local (RowingPad is a proud sponsor of Great Bay Rowing’s juniors program) and international, we follow each of these autumnal events with equal enthusiasm and even, when we can, take part in some respectable masters and alumni racing.
After a somber season in 2020, a calendar packed with fall rowing events is more than welcome. Here are some excellent regattas taking place across New England for the remainder of fall 2021. We hope to see you at one or more!
The new Poughkeepsie Regatta picks up where the historic Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta (1895 – 1949) left off, along the majestic Hudson River. Photo courtesy of Hudson River Rowing Association. Poughkeepsie Regatta Head Race, October 2, 2021
So…New York is not technically part of New England, BUT those of us who love a great fall head race along a historic body of water can make an exception, and allow for some extra travel time when the occasion arises. The Poughkeepsie Regatta Head Race is such an event, a new offering for the fall lineup this year consisting of a 5,000-meter head-style race along the beautiful Hudson River.
Race organizers describe the route like so: “Shadowing the route of the old Junior Varsity (3-Mile) course, crews will race downstream from the Culinary Institute of America’s main campus in Hyde Park to the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie, passing under Walkway Over the Hudson State Park and rowing by several other Poughkeepsie Waterfront landmarks.” (Fans of the best-seller rowing book The Boys in the Boat will recognize the historic 1895-1949 Intercollegiate Rowing Association course featured in its pages.) Co-hosted by the Hudson River Rowing Association and the Mid-Hudson Rowing Association, both based out of Poughkeepsie, the regatta is open to juniors, collegiate, and masters rowers.
The Textile River Regatta, October 3, 2021
Though the October 3 Green Mountain Head Regatta in Putney, Vermont, was recently cancelled, rowers can still plan for action that weekend at the Textile River Regatta, in Lowell, Massachusetts. The website for this beloved annual event, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019, proclaims, “Textile 2021 is ON. Same as 2019—only different!” The Covid-related changes for 2021 include a more limited offering of events, fewer spectating and launch areas, and caps on participants for some of the more popular races. But plenty of fun is still sure to be had at this vibrant head race on the Merrimack River in Lowell. Schools and clubs from throughout New England, New York, and Pennsylvania compete in numerous events across all levels—meaning the energy level is traditionally high. And as of this posting, spaces were still available for more entries, but registration closes on September 26, so make haste!
The Head of the Housatonic is one of the largest single-day regattas in the U.S. Photo courtesy of New Haven Rowing Club. Head of the Housatonic, October 9, 2021
Registration is now live on Regatta Central for this unique head race hosted by the New Haven Rowing Club at Indian Well State Park along Connecticut’s Housatonic River. Though spectators and the traditional tailgating are not permitted this year in an effort to keep all the athletes safe from Covid-19 as they compete, this is a fantastic event to participate in as a competitor or coach—with 70-plus clubs already signed up, it’s guaranteed to be some great fall racing.
We’ve seen plenty of New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts regattas in our day, but the Head of the Housatonic Regatta, held in the southern reaches of Shelton, Connecticut, offers a different kind of race format. At this popular annual event, competitors launch from the sandy beach by walking boats into the water (there is no dock). Boats follow a very specific traffic pattern involving colored buoys and must adhere to “right of way” guidelines (or suffer the consequences, which are assessed in the form of 10-, 20-, and 60-second penalties). This race demands your full focus in more ways than one!
New Hampshire Championships George Dirth Memorial Regatta, October 17, 2021
What better way to warm up for one of the world’s most famous head races (HOCR) than with another intense, widely renowned fall rowing competition? Up for the challenge? Then head to the George Dirth Memorial Regatta, which takes place the weekend before Head of the Charles and has the distinction of being the largest New England rowing event north of Boston. How large? More than 2,000 athletes rowing nearly 400 sculling and sweep boats.
Hosted by the Amoskeag Rowing Club in Pembroke, New Hampshire, the 3-mile head race begins upriver on the Merrimack and finishes at Memorial Park. In addition to providing a wonderful day of racing in a beautiful fall setting, this event awards a New Hampshire Cup team trophy for the best overall team performance and is raced in memory of George Dirth, a former Amoskeag club member and rower at Derryfield and Oregon State University who died tragically at the young age of 27. Registration is open now.
RowingPad founder Victor Pisinski will be on site for HOCR 2021! Head of the Charles, October 22-24, 2021
Since 1965, this beloved annual head race has been delighting spectators and competitors alike with its top-level racing and most scenic environs of the Charles River. With its prestigious roster of athletes and charming Boston backdrop, who could resist? Especially as HOCR makes its return after a dark 2020 due to the pandemic.
In fact, RowingPad’s founder, Victor Pisinski, a Northeastern rowing alum, has quite a streak of participation in the event, in which he debuted during year three. He will make his return to the river basin in the Men’s Grand Masters Eights taking place Saturday morning, accompanied by a crew of rowing compatriots eager to give it their all for 2021.
If you see him there, send him a “hurrah!” and ask to check out a RowingPad seat pad while you’re at it!
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Don’t Miss These Great New England Fall Rowing Events
Don’t Miss These Great New England Fall Rowing Events
By the time September rolls around, most “fall” rowing programs in our charming corner of the country are well under way. But as New Englanders, the RowingPad team still regards September and October as the autumnal glory days, full of classic local regattas and the global highlight that is the Head of the Charles.
As supporters of rowers local (RowingPad is a proud sponsor of Great Bay Rowing’s juniors program) and international, we follow each of these events with equal enthusiasm and even, when we can, take part in some respectable masters and alumni racing.
Here are some excellent rowing events taking place across New England this fall. We hope to see you at one or more!
Courtesy @criboston CRI Fall Classic Regatta, September 21, 2019
This early-season 3-mile head race on the Charles River hosted by Community Rowing Inc. is in its 10th year. Featuring a buoyed course and supervised by U.S. Rowing refs, it welcomes rowers of all levels to its 40-plus races, including adaptive events. Originally called “Rumble on the River,” the first installment coincided with the organization’s move to its new Harry Parker Boathouse in 2010 and featured rowing plus a battle of the bands.
The course and scope of the event evolved rapidly, and as the group’s website says, “In 2015, the event became the CRI Fall Classic Regatta to reflect its development into the premier early fall rowing event in New England. In 2010, the first regatta had about 40 entries. The 2018 regatta last fall had about 302 entries, including competitors from many New England states and New York, as well as a number of new youth crews.” That’s something to celebrate! If you are spectating, partake of the yummy food truck fare and make sure to check out the beautiful boathouse.
Head of the Merrimack, September 28, 2019
The Essex Rowing Association hosts this fun day of racing on the Merrimack River in Methuen, New Hampshire. The 5K race, which includes juniors, high schoolers, and masters levels and is a regional favorite event among the private rowing clubs in the area, traces some of the river’s most scenic spots along the Methuen shore.
An old event logo, courtesy of Putney Rowing Club. Green Mountain Head Regatta, September 29, 2019
Putney Rowing Club, based out of the idyllic town of Putney on the Vermont-New Hampshire border, hosts this charming and beloved local race along the northern Connecticut River. Why do we say “charming”? Well, the event traces its origins to the 19th century, and despite the illustrious rowing figures who have participated over the years, the awards still feature maple syrup for first place, a bag of apples for second and a gallon of cider for third. Join approximately 350 racers (a fair number of them in wooden boats) for the stake race, launched in intervals, that runs 1.5 miles upstream, around two buoys and back again. If you’ve never seen a stake race, this is truly a fun event for spectating!
The Textile River Regatta, October 6, 2019
This year marks the 40th anniversary of this vibrant head race on the Merrimack River in Lowell, Massachusetts. Schools and clubs from throughout New England, New York and Pennsylvania compete in nearly 60 different events across all levels—so the energy level will be high. You can even tune in to the Textile River Regatta Radio, the event’s own radio station featuring live calls on race day. Check out the stunning photos captured at last year’s event and plan your trip to partake in the live action the first weekend in October.
The launch point at Head of the Housatonic, courtesy of New Haven Rowing Club. Head of the Housatonic, October 12, 2019
We’ve seen plenty of New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts regattas in our day, but the Head of the Housatonic Regatta, held in the southern reaches of Shelton, Connecticut, offers a different kind of race format. At this popular annual event, hosted by the New Haven Rowing Club at Indian Well State Park along the Housatonic River, competitors launch from the sandy beach by walking boats into the water (there is no dock). Boats follow a very specific traffic pattern involving colored buoys—we’re intrigued to see how this all works in the thick of the race!
New Hampshire Championships George Dirth Memorial Regatta, October 13, 2019
Can you handle back-to-back weekends of intense fall rowing competition? If the answer is yes, then head to the George Dirth Memorial Regatta, which takes place the weekend before Head of the Charles and has the distinction of being the largest New England rowing event north of Boston. How large? More than 2,000 athletes rowing nearly 400 sculling and sweep boats.
Hosted by the Amoskeag Rowing Club in Pembroke, New Hampshire, the 3-mile head race begins upriver on the Merrimack and finishes at Memorial Park. In addition to providing a wonderful day of racing in a beautiful fall setting, this year’s event honors George Dirth, a former member of the rowing club and varsity rower at Oregon State University who died tragically at age 27, and awards a New Hampshire Cup team trophy for the best overall team performance.
A RowingPad founder and his crew during HOCR 2016. The 55th Annual Head of the Charles, October 19-20, 2019
Want to learn a fun piece of RowingPad trivia? One of our founders, Victor Pisinski, has quite a record with this beloved Boston regatta. The first HOCR was held in 1965. Victor made his debut on the Charles River course in year three…and he has raced in the event many years since! Unfortunately, 2019 marks one of the first years in a while Victor will not be able to compete due to a pesky foot injury, but you can bet he will be there in spirit!
This year’s installment of the Boston head race, the largest two-day regatta in the world, is sure to bring some fresh elements, including a brave push for sustainability and lessening environmental impact, and heightened racing with Tokyo 2020 on the horizon.
Want to hear more from RowingPad?
Keep informed of all our sales and promotions as well as interesting happenings in the rowing world by following us on Facebook, Instagram or subscribe to our e-newsletter.