RegattaCentral

The Covered Bridge Regatta

Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13,2025

Sponsored by

Oregon Association of Rowers

Eugene Rowing Club

University of Oregon Crew

Dexter Lake, 20 minutes east of Eugene on Hwy 58

2000 meters Junior, 1000 meters Masters

Ed Offchiss Memorial Trophy - men’s masters single. 2024: John Christiansen (BIR) 

Women's Masters Singles Trophy - designed and donated by Juergen Kaschper (Levator Boatworks)   2024: Dorothy Atwood (StaL)

Junior Team Points Trophy will be awarded for team ‘efficiency’ 2024: West Olympia RC

 

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

         1x ($50)       2x, 2- ($80)      4x-,4x+,4+ ($110)      8+($190)

ENTRIES OPEN at noon on FRIDAY MARCH 21st

ENTRIES CLOSE at 6 PM on MONDAY March 31st.

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

In addition, we will need to recover a $3/athlete Oregon State Parks fee.

REFUNDS: BEFORE the registration closing deadline: available through RegattaCentral for entries scratched through RegattaCentral. Registrants must also email the following information to [email protected]:
Team Name
Account holder's name
Event #, Event Name, Boat entry #
Refund amount requested.

Entry-related changes AFTER the registration deadline should be emailed to [email protected]. Day-of changes should be filed at the finish line.

The regatta schedule can be viewed at crewtimer.com.

ENTRY LIMITATIONS - are listed at bottom of this page. We will attempt to satisfy wait-listed entries within a few days after entries close.

QUESTIONS on entries: [email protected]

 

Virtual Coaches' and Coxswains' Meeting:Thursday, April 10th, 7PM - link will be posted here.

 

If you can VOLUNTEER as a beach master, launch driver or in another capacity, please click here (link coming) or contact  Kit Staples.

 

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. See the 'Event List' and 'Heat Sheet/Draw' tabs.

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.

2025 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.

Our Junior event listings have changed a bit this year. Some events are offered as both “V” and “2V”. These “V” events are intended for the fastest crews, however, a team does NOT need to enter the “V” event to be eligible for entries in the equivalent “2V” event. A team may only enter one boat in a “V” event and there is no waiting list. If you have a second-fastest boat that you would like to enter in a “V” event, you must enter it in the “2V” equivalent event with a seed of “AA”. Boats with a “AA” seeding will be considered for placement in the equivalent “V” event subject to space available. Boats that are unseeded (whoops!) or have seedings of “A”, ”B” and so on will remain in the “2V’ event.

Novice crews have rowed (and/or sculled) for less than two years. The Jr. Novice quad will require a coxswain.

U17: A Competitor may compete in the U17 category until December 31 of the year of his or her 16th birthday.

 

The lake will be open for use on Friday. Some work on the course may be on-going, but the usual traffic pattern will be in effect (see below). 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. 

NEW Traffic Pattern: All race-warmup will be within a clockwise loop on the North (Marina) side of, and roughly parallel to, the race-course. A series of large yellow buoys will mark the inside of the loop. Leaving the launching beach, join the warm-up oval headed ESE in the cove towards the start (shore-side of the cove). Continue towards the Concrete Bridge. The oval will return (E-to-W), approximately parallel to the course, back towards the launch area - allowing start of another loop. Two-km starters will peel off at the East end of the loop to stage behind the starting line, near to the bridges. One-km starters (Masters) will peel off from the 'return' side of the loop, towards the 750m-gone buoys, to stage on the northside of the course (DO NOT enter the course until a marshall instructs you to do so). Boats launching from the OAR dock will follow the 'return' lane on the north side of the course, past the landing/launching area, to join into the warm-up loop. No boats will be warming up to the south of the race course.

 

 

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.  

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 11th and 12th, 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

 

ENTRY CAPS:

SATURDAY		total cap	cap/club
1	Mens Masters 1x	21	4
2	Womens Masters 1x	21	4
3	Mens U17 1x	14	2
4	Womens U17 4x	14	2
5	Mens Jr Nov 4+	12	2
6	Mixed Masters 4x	14	2
7	Mens Youth 1x	21	2
8	Mens Youth 2-	18	2
9	Womens Jr Nov 4+	6	1
10	Womens Youth 2-	6	1
11	Mens Nov 2x	6	1
12	Womens Masters 4+	14	2
13	Womens Jr Nov 4x+	12	1
14	Mens Masters 4+	7	1
15	Mens Jr Nov 4x+	18	2
16	Womens Jr Nov 2x	6	1
17	Womens U17 V 2x	12	1
18	Womens U17 2V 2x	12	2
19	Mens Youth V 4x	14	1
20	Mens Youth 2V 4x	14	2
21	Womens Youth V 2x	14	1
22	Womens Youth 2V 2x	14	2
23	Womens Jr Nov 8+	7	1
24	Mixed Masters 8+	14	2
25	Mens U17 4+	14	2
26	Mens Youth 4+	14	1
27	Womens Youth 2V 8+	7	1
28	Womens Youth V 8+	7	1
29	Womens Masters 2x	21	3
SUNDAY
30	Womens U17 1x	14	2
31	Mens U17 4x	14	2
32	Mens Youth 2V 8+	7	1
33	Mens Youth V 8+	7	1
34	Mens Masters 2x	14	2
35	Mixed Masters 2x	21	2
36	Womens Youth 1x	21	2
37	Womens Youth 4+	14	1
38	Mens U17 V 2x	12	1
39	Mens U17 2V 2x	12	2
40	Womens U17 4+	7	1
41	Womens Masters 4x	14	2
42	Mens Masters 8+	7	1
43	Mens Youth V 2x	14	1
44	Mens Youth 2V 2x	14	2
45	Womens Youth V 4x	14	1
46	Womens Youth 2V 4x	14	2
47	Mens Masters 4x	7	1
48	Womens Masters 8+	7	1
49	Mens Jr Nov 8+	7	1