The 35th annual San Diego Crew Classic rowing regatta will launch their first race of the annual two-day event April 5 and 6, at 7:30 a.m. on the east side of Crown Point in Mission Bay.
The largest gathering of 8-person boats in the world is a spring showcase for top universities and club teams from throughout the country.
USD, SDSU and UCSD will each compete in the preliminary events Saturday that will shape their weekend at the tournament competition.
The local universities will be racing against crews from institutions such UCLA, USC, Notre Dame, Stanford, Washington and Washington State, Harvard, Purdue, Cal, Texas and dozens more.
USD’s and Lady Aztec 8 women’s crew will be competing for the Women’s Cal Cup, starting in separate heats Saturday morning. But they could go head-to-head in the finals. The SDSU and USD men’s crews will also be working toward the same men’s varsity Cal Cup goal.
Founded in 1973 with 300 athletes, the San Diego crew competition now draws more than 3,000 competitors from Washington to Minnesota, and from Massachusetts and Florida, to row at Mission Bay.
The races start near SeaWorld and pull toward Crown Point Shores East of Ingraham Street on Mission Bay. Events start every 10 minutes and continue until around 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The championship finals for the Jessop-Whittier Cup for women and the Copley Cup for men will be run mid-morning on Sunday, with some additional club races filling out the afternoon schedule.
Overall the event will include 90 races.
Local club teams of all ages include the San Diego Rowing Club (SDRC) on El Carmel Point and the ZLAC women’s club in Pacific Beach. The historic SDRC was founded in 1888 followed by the women founding their own all-women’s club ZLAC in 1892.
Many junior-team members of SDRC and ZLAC have earned crew scholarships and will be returning to Mission Bay to represent their universities on familiar waters. Successful junior female crew athletes are often able to earn a college scholarship.
Tickets are $7 or $10 for a two-day pass. Guests under 13 and active military, policemen and fire fighters are admitted free. There is a fee for parking near the gate, but free parking is available in the lots on Vacation Isle by Ski Beach. A free ride by Cloud 9 Shuttle is available from the lots to the gate.
Pavilions selling food and beverages are set up throughout the grounds of the event. Crew Classic logo merchandise and other souvenirs will also be on sale along with photos, art, jewelry, athletic clothing, health foods and medical services among the trade show tents.
A huge screen near the alumni tents projects the race progress for fans to watch.
As the competitors near the finish line, after roughly 7 minutes of all-out effort, cheers erupt from the crowd for the exciting finishes. Most races are decided by just 10 feet.
Bring a lounge chair or blanket for seating, since there is plenty of grass or sand for race viewing. No personal tents, bottles, bikes, skateboards or dogs are permitted inside. The weather is predicted to be sunny with temperatures in the mid 60s.
The inspiring athletes from all over North America will represent more than 100 teams. The sport is a purely amateur endeavor with great traditions, which are reflected in the athletes pride, individual dedication and comradery.
The origins of crew competition date back to the mid-1800s. Today modern 62 foot carbon-fiber “shell” and oar materials and other high-tech design features challenge the disciplined athletes devoted to the human-powered sport.
Friends, family and fans numbering more than 20,000 are expected to participate in the festivities including a crew-oriented trade show and the alumni tent gatherings.
When the races begin, six teams will line-up their shells for the start of each race under the sky chair ride at SeaWorld. The finishes are in full view of the fans on Crown Point.
Crew is the oldest intercollegiate sporting tradition in America.
Teams are classified as collegiate, junior varsity, novice, junior, club or masters. Some classes are further divided into lightweight crews; women in the team must be under 130 pounds and men under 160. Crews race in their class except for the open events where colleges and clubs can go head to head.
Eight-oared crews carry a coxwain to steer and keep the team paced as they battle their competitors.
Collegiate rowers achieve the highest academic performance and graduation rates of any sport according to the US Rowing Association, which was founded in 1872.
Crew Classic event information is available at www.crewclassic.org or at the athletic web sites posted by any of the universities.