Right Around the River Blog

Rocketts Landing Collegiate Regatta a Success

Post Date: 04-02-2013

Look out, Richmond. If last weekend's Rocketts Landing Collegiate Regatta is any indication of what our 2013 event season is going to be like, then we're in for one heck of a year!

Last Saturday, eight collegiate rowing teams from across Virginia came out to our community to compete along the banks of the James River. Hosted by Commonwealth Crew, Rowing at VCU, the Collegiate Regatta welcomed crew teams from Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, William and Mary, James Madison University, Christopher Newport University and Old Dominion University.

With beautiful weather as our backdrop, over 100 spectators cheered along their favorite teams while taking in the awesome scenery and camaraderie.

"It was a very terrific event," explains Commonwealth Crew Volunteer Coach Yuriy Letvsky. "The weather played an amazing card, all the races went smoothly, and all the volunteers worked like a well oiled machine. Everything was in place and clicked."

As far as the competitive sportsmanship, Yuriy says that they enjoyed a very balanced regatta. He did emphasize a strong showing from the William & Mary Rowing Club and that local crew teams from VCU and UR shared a very close finish together, competing neck and neck. But, overall, everyone brought equal levels of competition to the 12 heats throughout the day.

On land, fans and rowers alike enjoyed a cookout provided by the parents of Commonwealth Crew rowers. And once the regatta was over, everyone gathered together for an awards ceremony (apparently, a perk not too common for regattas at a local level) where they acknowledged all of the teams and their performances with awards and applause.

Here at Rocketts Landing, we always love seeing everyone enjoy the James River and everything our riverfront community has to offer. So, a huge thanks goes out to the rowers, fans and friends who came to the regatta! Here’s to the beginning of a wonderful event season.