Madison Crew competes in VASRA-sponsored regattas in the spring with local Maryland, DC, and Virginia teams from both public and private schools and also at regional and national levels at regattas such as the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia. Generally, Madison rows at Sandy Run Regional Park. Sandy Run is one of the finest rowing facilities on the East Coast. It has been the site of the Olympic canoe and kayak trials, several Scholastic Rowing Association of America Championship events, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship Regattas. It is also used for college and masters rowing and racing.
Additional information on Sandy Run is available online at http://www.nvrpa.org/park/sandy_run.
Are you looking for information about regattas in general? length of the course, the boats, and what your kids are doing out there? See
"How to Survive your first Regatta" and the
Regatta Watcher's Guide
James Madison Crew generally participates in the following upper boat/Varsity level regular-season and post-season regattas:
1. Polar Bear Regatta (Occoquan)
2. Walter Mess Regatta (Occoquan)
3. Smokey Jacobs Regatta (Occoquan)
4. Darrell Winslow Regatta (Occoquan)
5. Charlie Butt Regatta (Potomac) or Al Urquia Regatta (Occoquan)
6. Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championship “States” (Occoquan)
7. Stotesbury Cup Regatta (Schuylkill River, PA)
(Participating students will pay an additional fee to cover transportation, room and board)
8. SRAA National Championship Regatta “Nationals” for qualifying boats (Camden NJ in 2012)
(Participating students will pay an additional fee to cover transportation, room and board)
9. U.S Rowing Youth Nationals for qualifying boats at discretion of board, coaches and parents.
(Note: the club has not budgeted costs for this regatta, including the payment of coach’s time. Cost of this regatta, including payment for coach's time during training, shall be borne by participating athletes)
Depending on the site, regattas can start as early as 8:00 a.m., but crew members, especially coxswains and lightweights, may need to be there earlier than 6:00 a.m. in order to attend mandatory meetings and weigh-ins, and to prepare the boats for racing. It is EXTREMELY important to be on time and ready to row at the time determined by the Coach. Again, depending on the site and the number of participants, regattas may last until 3:00 or 4:00 pm, and the team is expected to stay at the site until racing has finished or they are dismissed by their Coach. Team members will be given permission to leave the boathouse area only when all post-regatta activities have been completed and boats have been cleaned and racked.
Racing attire: VASRA requires that all crew members wear matching uniforms (or parts of uniforms) from the waist up. In cold weather, this rule does not apply. Coxswains are only required to wear Madison colors showing. The standard racing uniform consist of a racing unisuit or “uni,” and if crew members chooses to wear it, the racing shirt, or “JL.” Depending on weather conditions, crews may also choose to wear pants. The cost of the uniform is not included in the dues, but is an additional charge.
The Cheering Section: The JMCBO welcomes all crew parents and family members to cheer for the team in the Madison cheering section. The approximate race times of each Madison event are available on http://www.vasra.org/schedules.htm on the Friday before the regatta. Madison boat line-ups are generally available on the members-only portion of this website on the evening before the regatta. Additionally, the Madison Crew website provides many useful resources, such as “Regatta Watcher’s Guide,” “Gear Checklist for Rowers,” and “Coxswain’s Guide,” to name a few.
Families are encouraged to stay for as much of the day as possible, and to support all the Madison boats racing that day. At Sandy Run, the parking lots, the boathouse, and the racecourse are not in close proximity. Wear good walking shoes, dress in layers, and bring rain gear. The weather at the Occoquan is generally cooler, and is known to change quickly. Many parents bring their own lawn chairs, seat cushions and/or blankets. Binoculars are also a good idea. No dogs or other pets are permitted at Sandy Run on regatta days. Concession stands are available at both the boathouse and spectator stands, as are port-o-potties.
JMCBO Shuttle bus: Parking at Sandy Run costs approximately $10/car on regatta days, and is extremely limited – usually filling up by 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. However, beginning with the Spring 2009 season, Madison joined with several other area schools to offer round-trip shuttle bus service between Sandy Run and Silverbrook Elementary School, located several miles from Sandy Run. Included in the general JMCBO dues is a $20 fee/rower to cover this shuttle bus service, which runs at regular intervals on Sandy Run regatta days, enabling rowers and their families to park easily, and with no additional daily usage charge, at Silverbrook Elementary, located at 9350 Crosspointe Drive in Fairfax Station. For most regattas, TJ and South County will also be running their own separate shuttle. We have entered into an agreement that members of all schools can ride either shuttle. When both shuttles are in operation there will be a bus departing each location every 15 minutes, on the quarter hour, making it even more convenient.
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REGATTA DAY PARKING.doc