The 33rd annual San Diego Crew Classic for universities and club teams will launch their first race of the rowing regatta at 7:30 a.m. by Crown Point April 1.
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and San Diego State University’s (SDSU) men will be going head to head in the opening race which is a qualifier for the Men’s Cal Cup.
The most successful local crew in 2005 will answer the gun at 8:50 a.m. when the women from SDSU race in their first Jessop-Whittier Cup. After winning the Women’s Cal Cup last year, the Lady Aztecs have been elevated to the top class of competitors ” rowing next to Notre Dame, Stanford and USC.
“We are returning four from that team last year,” said head coach Jennifer Zebroski. “It is exciting to be up against the top teams. It is a big step mentally. But I know we can row a solid race.”
Founded in 1973 with 300 athletes, the two-day crew competition is now the largest eight-person crew event in the world, attracting nearly 3,200 athletes to Mission Bay ” which is 600 more than the recent winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, which hosted 2,600 athletes.
The action starts early both days on Crown Point Shores by East Mission Bay and runs until approximately 5 p.m.
In the past, the final women’s and men’s major school open championship races were held in the afternoon on Sunday. Typically by that time, winds can make portions of the course choppy.
This year the championship finals for the Jessop-Whittier Cup for women and the Copley Cup for men will be run on Sunday by noon, with some additional club races filling out the afternoon schedule.
Overall the event will include 92 races.
Local universities and clubs participate in the competition along with hosting the visitors. Local crews include teams from SDSU, UCSD and University of San Diego (USD).
The UCSD women’s varsity crew will need to be at another regatta in Washington this weekend in order to meet their Div II NCAA Nationals qualifying requirements, according to head coach Pattie Pinkerton.
“We will be back on Sunday to cheer on our novice team who are undefeated in spring racing,” Pinkerton said. “(The Crew Classic) is a wonderful event and I appreciate that my rowers can see men and women competing at the national and Olympic level.”
Local club teams 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 and the all-women’s ZLAC in 1892.
Many teen members of SDRC and ZLAC have earned crew scholarships and will be returning to Mission Bay to represent their universities on familiar waters.
Tickets are $7 or $10 for a two-day pass. Guests under 13 and active military are free. There is also a fee for parking, but a free parking is available in the lots on Vacation Isle by Sky Beach. A free ride by Cloud 9 Shuttle is available from the lots to the gate.
Food and beverages are are available at the event, along with vendors providing Crew Classic merchandise, art and jewelry.
Lounge chairs are recommended for seating. No bottles, bikes, skateboards or dogs are permitted inside. The weather is predicted to be sunny with temperatures in the mid 60s.
The competitors represent more than 100 teams from all over North America. The sport is a purely amateur endeavor with great traditions that are reflected in the athletes pride, individual dedication and team-sport comradery.
The origins of crew competition date back to the mid-1800s. Today, rowers utilize modern 62-foot carbon-fiber “shell” and oar materials along with other high-tech design features in this unique 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.
Races start every 10 to 15 minutes and last for seven to eight minutes of all-out physical effort.
Six teams line-up their shells for the start of each race under the sky chair ride at Sea World. The finishes are in full view of the fans on Crown Point.
Most races are decided by just a few yards. So the finish line echoes with the shouts of team pride all day long.
Teams from the East Coast, Midwest and Northwest to Florida will participate. Great rivalries from Ivy League colleges to University of California, Los Angeles will be there to continue 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 coxswain to keep the team paced as they battle their competitors.
Crew Classic event information is available at www.crewclassic.org.