2011 Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series Continues This Saturday with the 153rd Schuylkill Navy Regatta

Philadelphia, PA – June 15, 2011 – The Schuylkill Navy Regatta, one of the United States’ oldest continuing competitive rowing events dating back to before 1860, continues with the 153rd edition of this historic regatta this Saturday, June 18th, and for the first time it is a part of the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series.

This Saturday’s Schuylkill Navy Regatta begins at approximately 9 a.m. with the first heat of the women’s open single, and continues to approximately 6 p.m. with the women’s intermediate eight final. More than 365 boats with 650 competitors representing 55 different rowing clubs including masters, open and clubs are expected to row in this year’s Schuylkill Navy Regatta, as well as several rowers from Australia competing in this event for the first time.

“The legacy of rowing in Philadelphia is a long and historic one with the Schuylkill Navy and the Schuylkill Navy Regatta standing as keystones in that tradition,” said John Hogan, Commodore of The Schuylkill Navy. “It’s a tradition which extends beyond one day, one race through the efforts of not only the competitors, but also the organizers, the volunteers, and the families that support our efforts all year, every year. We are also proud to now be part of the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series, a premier annual event for Philadelphia and the region.”

This year’s Schuylkill Navy Regatta is the first under the umbrella of the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series, which brings together for the first time 20 previously independent events in the first organized year-long series of rowing events of its kind in any major U.S. city. The Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series is organized by the Schuylkill Navy, which is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the country, representing the 12 rowing clubs based on Philadelphia’s landmark Boathouse Row.

With three of the largest regattas in the Mid-Atlantic region on the schedule, as well as two of the nation’s oldest regattas, the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series connects the rowing competitors of today to the historic home of the international rowing elite. It is built upon a tradition that launched November 12, 1835 with the first organized regatta on the Schuylkill (a full eight years before the start of the rowing program at Harvard).

The Schuylkill River hosts more regattas annually than any other river in the nation, as well as two of the country’s oldest continuing regattas, this Saturday’s Schuylkill Navy Regatta (dating back to before 1860) and the Independence Day Regatta (initiated in 1880). Those two historic events are a significant part of the 2011 schedule for the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series.

The Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series schedule runs from March through November, and features over 35,000 competitors in over 7,700 boats representing not only high schools but colleges, clubs, masters and open programs from around the country. The 10 remaining regattas on the schedule include:

 Saturday, June 18: Schuylkill Navy Regatta (clubs/open)
 Fri., July 1 to Sun., July 3: Independence Day Regatta (clubs/open)
 Saturday, July 16: Philadelphia Youth Regatta (clubs/juniors)
 Saturday, July 30: Quaker City Masters Regatta (clubs/masters)
 Saturday, October 8: Navy Day Regatta (clubs/high school/collegiate/masters)
 Sunday, October 9: Row for the Cure (clubs/high school/college)
 Sunday, October 23: Philadelphia Children’s Foundation Regatta (h.s./coll.)
 Sat., Oct. 29 & Sun. Oct. 30: Head of the Schuylkill Regatta (h.s./coll./clubs/open)
 Saturday, November 12: Hutchinson Cup Regatta (high school/masters)
 Sunday, November 13: Philadelphia Turn & Burn Regatta (clubs)

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for national, regional and local companies seeking access to this grand sport and its powerful demographic. Additional information is available at http://www.boathouserow.org.

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Media Contact:
Jim DeLorenzo
Jim DeLorenzo Public Relations
215-266-5943
jim@jhdenterprises.com