The United States’ largest springtime rowing regatta will return to the shores of Mission Bay from March 31-April 2 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The San Diego Crew Classic originated in 1973 as a means to bring the titans of East Coast and West Coast collegiate rowing together for early season competition.
Since its original iteration as a three-hour event featuring just 11 rowing teams, the Crew Classic has grown into one of the largest regattas in the world, bringing together rowers of all ages and ability levels for three days of racing. Over 4,000 competitors from 100 teams will come together for this year’s event, with an anticipated spectator draw of over 20,000.
50 YEARS: A MAJOR MILESTONE
In reaching its 50th year, the San Diego Crew Classic joins an elite list of annual San Diego events that have stood the test of time, including Comic Con and the San Diego (Farmers Insurance) Open. Over the years tens of thousands of athletes have raced at the Crew Classic; for many of whom it is their first rowing regatta as a youth or collegiate athlete. The regatta is proud to welcome these athletes back year after year as they continue to race the Crew Classic as masters rowers well into their 60s and 70s. To honor the Crew Classic’s 50th anniversary, City Councilmember Joe LaCava will attend the regatta on April 2 to present a proclamation from City Hall.
FEMINIST REGATTA FROM THE START
The San Diego Crew Classic is proud to be a regatta founded — and currently run by — women. The regatta was started in 1973 by Patty Wyatt, a civic-minded San Diegan, and member of ZLAC rowing club, who saw the potential in San Diego hosting a prestigious large-scale rowing regatta. Wyatt worked to include women’s events from the beginning — no easy feat during the pre-Title IX era — and worked constantly to get the women’s events to run the same 2k distance as the men’s (a change that was not implemented until 1985). The current regatta staff consists entirely of women, including executive director, Bobbie Smith; associate director, Megan Kalmoe, OLY; and marketing and volunteer coordinator, Hannah Broadland.
TOP COMPETITORS
The Crew Classic will have some of the top collegiate teams in the country in its marquee events: the Jessop-Whittier Cup (varsity women) and Copley Cup (varsity men). The Jessop-Whittier Cup will feature back-to-back defending NCAA Champions, Texas, who will be returning to Mission Bay after winning four of the five events they entered at the Crew Classic in 2022.
In 2023, Texas will face its back-to-back NCAA runners-up rivals, Stanford. Rounding out the field will be strong crews from the University of Washington (2022 NCAA No. 4), Cal (2022 NCAA No. 6), USC (2022 NCAA No. 15), Washington State, and Notre Dame.
Also joining the field for the first time will be a crew from Oxford-Brookes University (GBR). As a late addition to the field, Rowing Canada will be sending the defending Olympic champion women 8+ to race as exhibition competitors in the Jessop-Whittier Cup making the quality of competition unprecedented in this event.
In the Copley Cup, defending IRA National Champions, Cal, will be racing in a series of duals across the racing weekend against crews from Oxford-Brookes University (GBR) and Rowing Canada. Both crews from Oxford-Brookes and Rowing Canada will feature seasoned international competitors that have represented Great Britain or Canada at the World Championships and/or Olympic Games. Head men’s rowing coach for Cal, Scott Frandsen, is an Olympic alumnus of Rowing Canada, having represented them in two Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in 2008.
PARA ROWING OPPORTUNITIES
For the eighth consecutive year, Freedom Rows will feature at the San Diego Crew Classic during the Saturday program. Freedom Rows is an outreach and inclusion program sponsored by USRowing designed to bring the sport of rowing to wounded and recovering military veterans. The Crew Classic is one of the only major springtime regattas to offer Para and inclusion events for adaptive athletes alongside its full program for youth, masters, and collegiate athletes. USRowing and the Crew Classic will also sponsor talent identification services and meet-and-greet opportunities for athletes hoping to work toward the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
CREW CLASSIC
Participants will race a 2,000-meter race in a multi-lane side-by-side format. The Crew Classic race course starts from SeaWorld in Fiesta Bay and finishes at Crown Point Shores.
Youth (high school), Collegiate, Masters (21+), Elite (Olympic level), and Para (adaptive) categories will be offered in Eights, Fours, and Quadruple Sculls. The regatta will consist of approximately 140 races over three days.
Regatta Headquarters will be at Crown Point Shores. Friday, March 31, 3-5 p.m., Saturday, April 1, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, April 2, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information, crewclassic.org.
