April 7, 2004

Crew club at VCU to host first rocketts landing regatta April 10

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By Malorie Burkett

RICHMOND, Va. – The Crew Club at Virginia Commonwealth University will host the first Rocketts Landing Regatta - a rowing competition in which several Virginia collegiate crew teams will battle over a 2000 meter course on the historic Richmond waterfront.

This is the first time in 30 years VCU will be rowing in a competition on the James River.

Free and open to the public, the regatta is sponsored by Rocketts Landing LLC, VCU Crew and the Virginia Boat Club (VBC). The first race will begin at 10 a.m. The races will include men's and women's teams from VCU, the University of Richmond, Old Dominion University and the College of William and Mary.

Spectators can watch the races by standing by the Intermediate Terminal or on the banks of the Virginia Boat Club and Rocketts Landing site at 4708 Old E. Main St.

All schools will compete in four and eight person events in 2000 meter sprints finishing by the City of Richmond Intermediate Terminal by Dock and Water Streets, also known as the former "Annabelle Lee" dock. The dock is adjacent to the Virginia Boat Club boathouse and Rocketts Landing.

The regatta marks the return of formal collegiate racing to the downtown waters, which took place from 1967-1973. This year's regatta features a reunion of VCU crews with the current VCU rowing club. VCU crew raced for over a half century from the VBC boathouse on Mayo Island until 1973. The University of Richmond also rowed from the VBC boathouse through the 1950s.

VCU's rowing program originally was jump-started in 1967 at Richmond Professional Institute. The program continued until 1972 when a flood destroyed the boathouse in which the program operated. In winter 2001, a group of VCU students decided to restart the rowing program and obtained donated equipment and support from local rowing groups. Today, VCU Crew, a co-ed program run by students, is a sports club made up of over 40 members and volunteer coaches.

For more information on the regatta call Paul Georgiadis at 353-6179. For more on VCU Crew, visit www.studentorg.vcu.edu/vcucrewclub/Index.htm.