Match Racing Format

Most schools and colleges have a match racing season (Spring).  This is when two or three schools agree to race side-by-side on a straight, or as straight as possible, course that can fit on the local lake, river, or bay.  The boats line up abreast standing still and a referee/starter, when satisfied that the crews are level and ready to start, will give the commands Attention...  Go.  The boats start from a standing stop and race in a lane either imaginary or marked by buoys for a set set distance. The first boat to reach the finish line is the winner. 

The international (Olympic) distance is 2000 meters (1.25 miles).  High schools may race 1500 meters and master rowers 1000 meters.  The Harvard-Yale boat race begun in 1852 is 4 miles and the Oxford-Cambridge boat race begun in 1829 is 4.25 miles. 

A time is usually taken and the margin between the boats is recorded when a flag at the finish is dropped or raised when the bow of each boat crosses the line.  Many times the margins are given in lengths.  A length is a boat-length.  Visually, it is easy to estimate the distance by boat-lengths.  One boat-length would be when the bow (front tip) of one boat is about even with the stern (aft tip) of another boat.  There cold be multiples and fractions of a length: 1/4 length, 1/2 length, 3/4 lengths, 1 1/2 length, 3 lengths, etc.  At the Henley Royal Regatta after a race with a margin of 4 to 5 lengths the result is recorded as easy. 

A boat length is relative to the size of the boat in the race.  In an eights race, on length, about 58 feet, is different from one-length in a fours race, about 40 feet.  When a boat is more than 1 length ahead, it is referred to as open-water.  Ask your son or daughter is they won by open-water and they may be impressed, but then again...

When the margins are less than a length, then sometime people use seats as a measurement.  A seat is the length of one section where the rower sits, approximately 4.5 feet.  For example, the #2 rower in X boat was even with the #1 rower in Y boat, then X boat is one seat ahead of Y boat.  You may hear that a crew won by three-seats, or about 13-14 feet.  One more term is deck.  The deck is the unmanned, covered bow section of the boat (about 10 feet for an eight).  Again, it is a visual cue.  When the bow-ball of X boat is barely ahead of the #1 position in y boat, then X boat is a deck behind Y boat.  These desks were once covered with a canvas material an so the old term was a canvass rather than a deck. If you visit the Henley Royal Regatta, they officially record a deck length as a canvass.

Race times are recorded and it is usually a mistake to compare times from one race to another, or from a different day.  An imperceptible difference in wind or current can make a noticeable difference in times.  Maybe times can be compared in no wind or current conditions, but not much more than this.

Championship Regattas

A Championship Regatta usually will have a maximum of about six boats in a race at a time.  Since Championship Regatta may have more than six entries, a system of selecting the faster crews is used.  There will be qualifying heats to begin to sort the crews out.  One format is the first or first few crews go directly to the grand final (1-6 places), the next or next few crews go to the petite (small) final (7-12 places).  In another more final format, there will be repechage races to give the non-qualifying crews from the heats a second chance to qualify for the Grand and Petite Finals.

Head Races

In the fall season there are head races.  The name comes from the traditional English race called the Head of the River.  The first head race was the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge/Boston begun in 1965.  Now there are many.  These are usually open regattas with many events defined in any way the regatta committee wishes to.  A junior in one regatta could be anyone under 19 years old, in another it could be defined as high school.

The distance can vary, but usually in the 3 mile range.  Sometimes the race course is over  a winding river like the Charles.  The race is a timed event with each crew starting in a single file and negotiating the race course as fast as possible.  The start time and finish times are recorded and the elapsed time is calculated.  The fastest time wins.  Sometimes in masters events there is an age adjusted handicap.  Crews passing each other is usually exciting, particularly on a narrow river or a tight bend.  Crews don't really know how they placed until a printout of the times are posted.

Henley Races

Henley races are named after a style of racing conducted at the famous Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames in England.  The river is narrow at Henley so only two boats race and the loser is eliminated and the winner goes on to the next round.  This format is popular for narrow and/or short race courses in the U.S.