RowAmerica and Philadelphia Regatta Services Company, LLC – a new joint venture of the Dad Vail Regatta, Head of the Schuylkill Regatta and Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia – have introduced a state-of-the-art docking system to the Schuylkill River national rowing course in Philadelphia.
The RowAmerica dock equipment is routinely used at events such as the World Rowing Championships and the Henley Royal Regatta. Recognizing the unique and historic racing venue in the city’s Fairmount Park, RowAmerica’s Chairman Howard Winklevoss chose Philadelphia to debut the docking system at a US location.
“RowAmerica was founded with the mission to expand the sport of rowing. Boathouse Row and Philadelphia’s historic regatta venue have long been an integral part of rowing in this country. It gives us great pleasure to participate in this significant improvement to racecourse infrastructure.” – Howard Winklevoss, Chairman, RowAmerica
May 2018 marked the first use of the new equipment at the Dad Vail and Stotesbury Cup Regattas. “Our collegiate coach audience looks for crew safety and ease of use in the pressured and competitive environment of a major regatta. The Dad Vail is thrilled to provide our competitors and coaches with a solution that brings all of these elements to the river.” – James Hanna, President, Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee
The RowAmerica dock is designed with environmental and sustainability consideration. “All the dock components are recyclable, and the sustainability advantages of this dock system align perfectly with the stewardship values and commitment we work to promote among the thousands of scholastic athletes at the Schuylkill Navy’s Stotesbury Cup Regatta.” – Paul Horvat, Commodore, Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia
The RowAmerica dock will again be installed at Philadelphia’s largest rowing event, the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta on October 27-28. The Philadelphia-based events mark the first time the docking system has been installed at a US location. As a part of the Regatta’s “Fall Festival of Rowing,” all are welcome at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on Saturday October 27. The ceremony will take place on the dock at Three Angels with regatta officers, RowAmerica participants, athletes and special guests.
“In addition to safety and fairness, there is a great deal that contributes to a competitor’s overall rowing experience; the RowAmerica advanced docking system helps to ease launch and retrieval, allowing competitors and coaches to focus on racing. The docks place the Schuylkill River racing venue at the forefront of regatta infrastructure, reinforcing Philadelphia’s reputation as a major regatta destination.” – Jennifer Wesson, Executive Director, Head of the Schuylkill Regatta
About RowAmerica:
RowAmerica is an organization dedicated to growing the sport of rowing. Howard Winklevoss observed the benefits that rowing had on his sons, Cameron and Tyler, who ultimately raced at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, so he set out to introduce the sport to other junior rowers. RowAmerica is the parent organization for the Saugatuck Rowing Club, RowAmerica Rye and RowAmerica Greenwich Rowing Clubs. Together these three clubs train over 500 junior rowers annually. Additionally, RowAmerica is the parent organization of WinTech Racing, a rowing boat distributor, RowAmerica Repair, a repair shop for all boat manufacturers, and RowAmerica Boat Works which manufactures boat racks and distributes the docks used for the Dad Vail, Stotesbury and HOSR regattas.
About Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta:
The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee stages the largest open collegiate rowing regatta in North America, on the Schuylkill River National Racecourse on the second full weekend of May each year, attracting crews from as far north as Toronto, Canada, as far west as San Diego, California and as far south as Kissimmee, Florida. First staged in 1934, and still catering to fledgling rowing programs, the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, now named after Thomas Jefferson University as a title sponsor, regularly attracts large and prestigious crews from Army (West Point), Duke, Michigan, M.I.T., and Purdue in addition to many of the Philadelphia area college crews to include Delaware, Drexel, LaSalle, St. Joseph’s, Thomas Jefferson, Temple, and Villanova.
About Head of the Schuylkill Regatta:
The Head of the Schuylkill Regatta began in 1970 when members of the University Barge Club decided to offer rowers of all ages a congenial race on the historic Schuylkill River. The Regatta’s spirit of inclusion grew along with the size and scope of the event. At a time when only college crews competed in the fall “head” or distance races, the Head of the Schuylkill opened racing to high schools, emerging masters and veteran rowers. The Head of the Schuylkill Regatta now welcomes nearly 9,000 competitors, 40,000 spectators, and 350 volunteers each year. The weekend features races for high school, collegiate, masters, adaptive, and elite rowers, the U.S. Lotman Challenge and Philadelphia Gold Challenge Cup, and a free two-day Fall Festival amidst the backdrop of the beautiful and historic City of Philadelphia.
About Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia:
The Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia is the governing organization for Boathouse Row and the rowing community in Philadelphia. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest amateur sporting association in the country and is chartered by its member clubs to secure collective action and promote amateurism on the Schuylkill. Along with its priorities to improve river infrastructure and stewardship, promote safety and inclusion, and develop athletes and next generation talent, it annually hosts the Schuylkill Navy Series presented by Toyota. The series includes the world’s largest scholastic rowing competition The Stotesbury Cup Regatta and four of the nation’s oldest events dating back to the mid-19th century.
