RegattaCentral

For decades, the Long Beach Rowing Association has sponsored the Christmas Regatta on the first Sunday in December.  A perennial favorite throughout the southwestern United States, the event is sanctioned by USRowing, follows a sprint race format, and seeks broadest possible participation by the rowing community. The regatta is welcoming to all rowers regardless of age, skill, organizational affiliation, or nationality.  Events are offered in Masters, Open (Collegiate and Elite), Lightweight, Juniors, and Novice categories.

The Christmas Regatta consists of 850-meter sprint races from a floating standing start.  All contemporary sculling (1x, 2x, and 4x) and sweep (2-, 4+, and 8+) boat classes are represented; the obsolete 2+ (“coxed pair”) and increasingly rare 4- (“straight four”) formats are not included given insufficient demand.

For the special benefit of Juniors programs, novice 4x+ (“coxed quad”) and Freshman 8+ events are offered.

In 2015, the event witnessed 530 entries with a total of 1938 seats raced, and ran from sun-up to sun-down with flights on 5-minute centers.