RegattaCentral

Welcome to the 27th OARS Invitational! 

The Orlando Area Rowing Society will host this event at Bill Frederick Park on Saturday, March 8th and Sunday, March 9th.  

High School races will take place on Saturday. Masters & Middle School will take place on Sunday. This year, our masters have also added some coach events on Sunday - check them out!

The OARS Invitational Regatta is one of the premier rowing events in the southeast, traditionally attracting more than 1,000 rowers from around Florida and neighboring states. Racing takes place on a 1500m course on Turkey Lake, with races starting every 7 minutes. A complete regatta packet is available here: OARS Invitational 2025

Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake and the City of Orlando allow us to host this event. All teams must adhere to the guidelines or may risk dismissal from the park. 

Reminders:

• Entries are limited to one entry per team in each event. We will have a waitlist, so please enter early and add waitlist entries. As soon as we can accept waitlist entries, we will. This will help us to manage the overall race day and ensure we can fit all races into the schedule. 

Park Entrance Fee: There is a park entry fee at Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake.  A separate pass will need to be purchased for each vehicle.  Please refer to the link below to determine which type of entrance pass to purchase.  All entrance passes need to be purchased in advance of race day. Bill Frederick Park will not accept cash at the gate. Please share this link with all of your team members, parents, boards & anyone coming to the regatta. https://oarsrowing.sportngin.com/register/form/669070187

Waivers: Because we are using USRowing referees, we are sanctioned by USRowing. This also ensures that your teams are covered if you use USRowing Insurance. Everyone must complete the USRowing Waiver.  Please ensure all of your members are compliant with USRowing.

We will be using the NOARA waiver.  Please direct your teams here: https://www.noara.org/fsra.php  Waivers must be completed by Sunday, March 2nd. Any entries without signed waivers will be scratched. 

Teams from out of state may run into difficulties with the NOARA/FSRA waiver interface. Please contact [email protected] for help.

If your team is not a member of FSRA,  you'll need to submit a certificate of insurance and NOARA waivers for all participants. You should have each member sign the waiver as unaffiliated.

Volunteers Needed for Stake Boats & Chase Boats - Sign Up Here: Coming Soon

Lunch Opportunities:  We will have two catering lunch options for you from Ellie Lou's BBQ and Fresh & Co. 

Additional Information:

• We need extra launches!  If anyone can bring a launch, please let me know at [email protected] and we can reduce your fees by $50
• All boat trailers should be at the park and in position by 7:00 AM on Saturday
• Coaches & Coxswain Meeting will be virtual. A link will be available to view as we get closer to the regatta. 
• We will have our t-shirt vendor on site for rowers to purchase regatta shirts & gear.
• Bill Frederick Park does not allow cooking or grilling of food for any teams. Here are options for you:
  • You may use one of the grills in the park near one of the pavilions. These are available on a first come basis. Keep in mind that these are not near the tent or trailer area and are not large grills.
  • You may rent a pavilion or cabin that comes with a grill for your use.
  • You may bring in any other non-cooked food.
• In case of bad weather, please review the Inclement Weather Plan

We are looking forward to a race day full of excitement and success on the water.  See you soon!

Kirsten Anderson