The Covered Bridge Regatta

Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14,2024

Sponsored by

Oregon Association of Rowers

Eugene Rowing Club

University of Oregon Crew

Check us out on social media:

#coveredbridgeregatta2023

Instagram: @coveredbridgeregatta2023

Facebook: Dexter Covered Bridge Regatta 2023

Special Congratulations to repeat 1x winners for 2024:

Ed Offchiss Memorial Trophy: John Christiansen (BIR) - men's masters single champion

Women's Masters Singles Trophy: Dorothy Atwood (StaL)

And a new crew for the Junior Team Efficiency Trophy:

West Olympia RC

             The lake is open for use on Friday. Some work on the course may be on-going, but the usual counter-clockwise traffic pattern will be in effect. This means on-course-traffic from East to West (from the Covered Bridge towards the lower dam) and traffic nearer to Hwy 58 from West-to-East (off the course and towards the Covered Bridge). Please follow this pattern, be aware of other boats, be safe and be courteous. 

              The Regatta will NOT be providing safety launches for Friday practice. Weather and water conditions change quickly on Dexter Lake, especially in the month of April.  We strongly recommend crews do not go out on the water without a safety launch and it is up to each team to provide their own launch. 

Place:  Dexter Lake, 20 minutes east of Eugene on Hwy 58

Races:  2000 meters Junior, 1000 meters Masters

Cost:  Entries received and paid by the entry closing date (6:00 PM): 

         1x ($40)       2x, 2- ($60)      4x-,4x+,4+ ($75)      8+($120)

Additionally, we must collect an Oregon State Parks Usage fee of $3 per athlete.

Late entries & fees will be accepted only on a space-available basis and at 1.5x the original fee.

Refunds will be available through RegattaCentral for entries scratched through RegattaCentral before the registration closing deadline. To obtain a refund, registrants must email (before the registration closing deadline) the following information to [email protected]:
Team Name
Account holder's name
Event #, Event Name, Boat entry #
Refund amount requested.

ENTRIES OPEN at noon on FRIDAY MARCH 22nd

ENTRIES CLOSE at 6 PM on MONDAY APRIL 1st.

EVERY EVENT WILL HAVE ENTRY LIMITATIONS - both per club and total entries (bottom of page). We will attempt to satisfy wait-listed entries within a few days after entries close.

QUESTIONS ON ENTRIES CAN BE ADDRESSED TO: [email protected]

If you can volunteer as a beach master, launch driver or in another capacity, please click here or contact  Kit Staples.

Virtual Coaches' and Coxswains' Meeting Recording. Link here. Passcode *&@KP0RK

Ed Offchiss Memorial Trophy - presented to the winner of the men’s masters single.

Women's Masters Singles Trophy - designed and donated by Juergen Kaschper (Levator Boatworks)

Junior Team Points Trophy will be awarded for team ‘efficiency’ (Points earned per event entered. Minimum three events).

Regatta Format

The Covered Bridge Regatta is a USRowing Registered Event. USRowing licensed referees will officiate. Team USRowing membership is required. The online USRowing waiver is required of each rower.

The race course is accurately surveyed to 2000 meters and each lane is buoyed along both sides. Additional, larger buoys outside the course lanes will mark every 250 meters.  Masters race on the last 1000 meters of the race course. In general, all events with more than six entries will be raced as separate events, without finals. Masters singles races will have heats and a final. Events with less than three entries will be cancelled, or combined with another event. Teams are limited to a maximum number of entries per event (varies by event, see bottom of page). Most events also have a cap for total entrants. Entries beyond these limits will be wait-listed. A tentative schedule is posted under 'Event List'. The race schedule will be finalized at some point and posted under 'Heat Sheet/Draw'.

Events will be run on ten-minute or (probably) less centers, so efficiency is paramount to keeping the regatta on schedule. Boats must be launched at least 30 minutes prior to their start time and be in the staging area five minutes prior to start time. We will not delay an event so an athlete or boat can ‘hot seat.’ Visiting teams are expected to rig boats and beach launch from the large grassy area next to the parking lot and concessions in the marina area. Only boats stored in the OAR or UO boathouses will be allowed to use the OAR dock. (see “Parking”)

All boats must be equipped with and will be inspected for bow balls and heel tie downs.  Crews must provide their own bow numbers.

All participants are asked to immediately report any distressed shell and/or rowers in the water witnessed during their row to and from the race course.

2023 Rules of Rowing will apply, however, the following rules will not be enforced:

               Racing Cadence;    Minimum Weight of Boats; Oar Colors;

               Weighing of Coxswains and Weighing of Competitors

Rules pertaining to coxswain weight limits and weigh-ins will not be enforced. We ask that you honor these limits.

Quadruple sculling boats will race without coxswains, except the Jr. Novice quad will require a coxswain.

Novice crews have rowed (and/or sculled) for less than two years.

• U19: A Competitor may compete in the U19 category until December 31 of the year of his or her 18th birthday.
  • 19 and in HS in 2023 allowed at CBR
• U17: A Competitor may compete in the U17 category until December 31 of the year of his or her 16th birthday.
• U15: A Competitor may compete in the U15 category until December 31 of the year of his or her 14th birthday.

Coaches' and Coxswains' Meeting to be virtual at TBD

    A link to the zoom meeting will be sent to everyone with the regatta listed on their calendar at RegattaCentral. Following the meeting, a link to the recording of the live meeting will be available in this space. 

   At the meeting, we will outline procedures, including for launching, warm-up, starting, racing, return, landing, etc.  Our Head Referee will discuss safety and fairness procedures and concerns. See also the 'venue' tab at RegataCentral. Attendees to the online meeting are asked to remain ‘muted’ and to post their questions to the chat, which will be moderated to assure that we try to answer each question at least once.

   Weather and safety updates will be available Saturday before racing at the picnic shelter and all day at the regatta headquarters & announcer’s trailer near the launching area.

   Scratches, add requests and other entry-related changes should be emailed to [email protected] and will not be covered at the meeting. Day-of changes should be filed at the finish line. The regatta schedule can be viewed at crewtimer.com.

Insurance and Waiver Forms

This is a USRowing registered regatta and we are using USRowing regatta liability insurance. All participants are required to sign a waiver online at RegattaCentral. Championship membership in USRowing is not required, however, all participating teams must be fully paid members of USRowing and all competitors must sign at USRowing.org. The waiver link is also available through the RegattaCentral website.

Directions

From I-5, take Hwy. 58 (exit 188A) east, 13 miles to Dexter Lake.
Turn left at the white covered bridge, to Lowell.
Turn left at Boundary Rd. (becomes Pengra Rd.), then travel 0.8 miles to Lowell State Park.  

Volunteers

Please volunteer to help with the regatta! please contact  Kit Staples or sign up directly (link to be added).

Waterway Access Permit (WAP)

The State of Oregon has instituted a program to fight aquatic invasive species. As part of this program all boats of 10 feet or more overall length are required to carry an WAP when operated in Oregon waterways.  If you or your club is located in the State of Oregon, you are responsible for obtaining and carrying this permit in each of your boats.  Failure to carry a permit may result in a substantial fine for each offense. The permits cost is minimal. The regatta committee has obtained permits for our guests from out of the state of Oregon. These permits will be held by the regatta committee and, if you are from out of state, you will not be required to actually carry a permit in your boat. WAP for motorized craft from the State of Oregon are included in your annual registration fee.  Motorized craft from out of state will be required to obtain and carry a permit. The regatta committee will not provide these. Further details and permits are available online at https://odfw.huntfishoregon.com/login

Parking

All vehicles (except trailers) must park in the town of Lowell, which is a 10-15 minute walk from the park. Note the new NO PARKING signs on Pengra Road. A free shuttle bus will run between the park and town. Trailers and boats may be left overnight in the parking lot adjacent to the launch area. The park gate will be locked at 9:00 PM each night and will be supervised, but equipment is left at your own risk.

Please reserve a trailer parking spot by emailing or calling  Debbie Cadigan   cell: 541 729 2444 

Trash and Recycling

The Lane County Master Recycler Program is helping our regatta to go green this year. Please reuse or recycle at the barrels located around the park. We ask that teams do their share to use these receptacles and the trash bins, especially before departure. Thank you!

Camping at Dexter Lake

There is very limited camping space at Lowell State Park.  Camping in tents is allowed Friday and Saturday, April 14th and 15th, only.  Oregon State Parks requires the regatta to collect a $10 per person per night camping fee, payable at registration. Tent camping is limited to the oak grove area.  No camping on the beach.  No open fires. No RV parking.

Dexter Shores RV Park/Camping, 39140 Dexter Rd., (541) 937-3711 (across the lake).

Deerwood RV Park, just East of I-5 at rte 58 exit. (877) 988-1139  www.deerwoodrvpark.com

Food

Food service will start at 6:00 AM Saturday. There is great coffee available near the shuttle start in Lowell - so fill up there anytime during the day. Also, bring your own drinking water.

Accommodations in and around Eugene/Springfield ('see the 'Lodging' tab)

Refer to the list of 'Host Hotels' on the 'Lodging' tab.  Refer to the 'Covered Bridge Regatta' for the best rates. You can find information on additional hotels in the area at www.visitlanecounty.org