Oct. 7, 2005

Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst College Rowing teams take their first competitive strokes this weekend as they head to Rochester, New York, to compete at the Stonehurst Capitol Invitational Regatta. Over twenty five teams are expected on the Genesee river in a two race format. Among the teams expected to compete are Harvard, Yale ,Brown Syracuse, Wisconsin and Dartmouth. The Lakers will be competing in the men's lightweight and openweight and the women's openweight categories.

Here are some regatta facts and figures:

Six Classes of Competition
The Stonehurst Capital Invitational Regatta offers six classes of competition: men's heavyweight fours with coxswain, women's heavyweight fours with coxswain, men's lightweight eights, women's lightweight eights, men's heavyweight eights, and women's heavyweight eights.

Men's lightweight entries must have a boat with no individual more than 165 pounds, while women's lightweight entries must have a boat with no individual more than 140 pounds. The weight minimums on coxswains are: men, 120 pounds; women, 110 pounds. Weigh-ins for all lightweight entries are conducted prior to the start of the competition.

Heavyweight entries have no weight limitations.

Head Races
Starting at 9:30 a.m., the head race is five kilometers (3.1 miles) and starts 2.5 miles upstream (south) of the boathouse. Entrants will start at roughly 10-second intervals and should stay to the right around the first bend. After the bend, the course straightens out for about 1/2 mile and teams will pass under the high-tension wires entering the middle of the river. Next is the S-bend, the 1-mile mark, followed by the highway overpass, the 2-mile mark. Crews will then go under the pedestrian bridge, past the boathouse, under the Elmwood Avenue Bridge, and finish 250 meters past the Interfaith Chapel on the University of Rochester campus. The course is buoyed and passing is allowed.

Sprint Races
Beginning at approximately 1:30 p.m., the sprint course is two lanes and 1,500 meters in length. Crews will start at approximately 1-minute intervals, head downstream toward the Elmwood Avenue bridge, go through the center arch of the pedestrian bridge, and finish at the boathouse. Although crews will row the sprint course in pairs in equal lanes, they are racing against the clock. Final results will be determined by the time for each boat, so an exactly even start is desirable, but not necessary. The finish line is straight and the start is angled with respect to the course to make each lane equal in distance. Crews will be penalized if they are out of their lane. Oars may go over buoys, but the hull of the boat must stay in the assigned lane.

Determining Final Standing
For each kind of event, the top-finishing teams will be ranked according to total finishing times. At the end of the day, times for all events will be tallied and final results announced.

Best Spectator Vantage Points
To get the best view of the morning head races, spectators should walk the last stretch of the course. Start at the hospitality area in Genesee Valley Park and head downstream toward the finish line near the Interfaith Chapel. Enjoy the stroll through Bausch & Lomb Riverside Park along the University of Rochester's River Campus.

During the afternoon sprint competition, the best viewing is along the east bank of the river in Genesee Valley Park, opposite the Boat House area.

Regatta Website