REGATTA PREPARATION
Rowers
Be prepared for unpredictable weather - anything can happen! Check your favorite weather app before leaving home to make sure you are prepared and comfortable for any situation. There’s nothing more uncomfortable than sitting on the side of a river dressed all wrong! Bring an extra jacket, blanket, and hat even if you don’t think you’ll need it…someone else might. Pack an extra outfit to change into. While rare, it does happen that an athlete falls in the water. You’ll be thankful for dry undies on the ride home!
Allow plenty of time to get to the venue and to park, especially if it is your first time there. Coordinating with teammates to ride together is the best option so that there are fewer cars to park and so that no one has to go alone. The walk to the competition site is often long. Be prepared! Inevitably it will be dusty or muddy so wear appropriate shoes. Expect the unexpected!
Spectators
If you are not competing, but are considering attending the regatta to cheer on your CRUmates and watch some fantastic racing, please know that we love when we have fans there! It’s a great way to spend time getting to know new teammates as well as visiting with old friends. Regattas tend to be composed of multiple periods of “hurry up and wait” so there is plenty of time to eat and be social. Wear your CRU gear if you have some and embrace the fact that we will probably press you into service to carry shoes, oars, and sometimes boats.
What to Pack - An Athlete & Spectator Checklist
Dress for the weather; consider the season; remember temperatures can vary as the day progresses; think layers!
Hot Hands – hand warmers
Chair or blanket to sit on
Umbrella and/or raincoat
Binoculars
Something to pass the time (phones, earphones, speakers, books, cards, etc., backup phone charger)
Water bottle
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Chapstick
Hand Sanitizer
Cash or debit/credit card; there are usually food and regatta gear tents
Warm-ups to wear while not racing
Layers for racing
Hat/visor or bandana
Sunglasses/glasses/contacts and solution
Uni or gray CRU shirt and black trou to compete in
Slip-on shoes to wear while walking to the dock for your race; you have less than a minute to get off and on the dock; the dock-master will not patiently wait for you to untie/tie your shoes
Socks (3-4 pair)
Bags for wet clothing
Changes of clothes in case you get soaked, as well as to go home in (packed in Ziplock bags or dry bags to keep them dry if the ground/bag gets wet)