Row Ontario to Host Two September Regattas
Two exciting regattas have been added to Ontario’s September rowing calendar as Row Ontario will host the Row Ontario Cup and RowOn Small Boat Regatta on Sept. 14-15.
The Row Ontario Cup will take place in Ottawa on Saturday, Sept. 14, while the RowOn Small Boat Regatta will run from the South Course of the WIFC in Welland on Sunday, Sept. 15. The inclusion of September regattas in the events calendar represent the next phase of growth in Row Ontario’s event hosting model, which began earlier this year with a change in the format of the RowOn Championships. Both regattas are focused on small boats, with singles and pairs categories being contested at the Small Boat Regatta and singles, pairs and doubles at the Row Ontario Cup.
“Adding two September events to our regatta calendar is something new and exciting for us as an organization,” said Andrew Backer, CEO of Row Ontario. “It’s been a busy year for rowing in Ontario and shifting the Small Boat Regatta to September made a lot of sense within the regatta calendar. Hosting an event in Eastern Ontario has been on our radar for a while and we think the first ever Row Ontario Cup has an innovative format that the competitors will really enjoy. For all our regattas we aim to provide meaningful racing opportunities for the participants, and we believe these two events will accomplish those goals.”
Rowers competing at the Row Ontario Cup will participate in a series of promotion-relegation races, over short sprint distances. The format will feature multiple stages, beginning with a time trial in the first stage where athletes/crews will be ranked according to speed, followed by a series of head-to-head 250m or 500m races in the second stage. Participants will be guaranteed multiple races throughout the day and will compete against boats of similar speed during the second stage of the progression system. This new competition model was created with the objectives of better aligning competitions with the Athlete Development Model and the development pathway for rowing in Ontario and creating a model that promotes co-learning opportunities as they relate to the roles and responsibilities of athletes, coaches, umpires, and volunteers during a regatta (see regatta package for full information).
Typically hosted in May, the RowOn Small Boat Regatta moves to a September date this year, with the aim of providing a quality small boat racing experience prior to the National Rowing Championships (NRC) in October. Participating athletes will test themselves in both a time-trial and side-by-side racing format on the same course as the NRC, which will take place four weeks later from Oct. 11-13.
Registration is now open and can be accessed along with full information for each event on RegattaCentral at the below links:
For the full regatta calendar in Ontario, visit the Row Ontario website.
