Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series Continues Saturday, July 16th with the Philadelphia Youth Regatta, Including “Benny” Trophy Presentation by Ben Franklin in Person

Philadelphia, PA – July 15, 2011 – The debut season of America’s first organized year-long series of rowing events, the Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series, continues this Saturday, July 16, with the annual Philadelphia Youth Regatta, on Philadelphia’s historic Schuylkill River. The first race on Saturday begins at approximately 9 a.m. with the first heat of the boys junior 18 quad, and concludes at approximately 5 p.m. with the girls eight dash final.

The club with the most points at the end of the day receives the prestigious “Benny” trophy, which this year will be presented to the winning club by none-other than Philadelphia’s most famous founding father, Benjamin Franklin.

A regatta dedicated only to juniors (those under the age of 19), the Philadelphia Youth Regatta has been held for the past 25 years. This Saturday, there are over 650 registered competitors in over 300 boats representing 40 clubs from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Maryland.

Admission to view the Philadelphia Youth Regatta on the banks of the Schuylkill River and in the Grandstand located on Kelly Drive beneath the Columbia Railroad Bridge is free of charge. Limited parking for cars is available nearby in Fairmount Park. A full schedule for the Philadelphia Youth Regatta is available online at http://www.boathouserow.org.

The Philadelphia Classic Regatta Series 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.
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 eight remaining regattas on the schedule include:

 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 (masters/open/coll/h.s./juniors)
 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