Regatta Formats
Different types of competition
Lane Racing
The Olympics and World Championships
The standard championship event where up to 10 crews each in their own lane compete across a standard course. Usually 2000 metres long it can be shorter and the international standard is 6 crews
Boat Racing
A challenge between two crews
This style of racing involves two crews racing over a winding river course often with tides current and wind to contend with. The world’s most famous event is simply called the boat race and takes place between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge
Heads Races
Medium distance Racing
This is racing rowed on any large stretch of water from point to point of a timed course. Crews are not set off simultaneously but rather consecutively after a predetermined interval
Bumps
Inter college races
Every year the colleges that make up both Oxford and Cambridge compete among themselves for the honour of being the best college rowing crew at that university.
Crews are set off in procession along the river and the goal is to achieve an overlap of the preceding crew’s stern by that crew’s bow without allowing the following crew to overlap ones stern with their bow. In year’s gone by a physical collision or ‘bump’ was required to achieve victory but the cost of equipment and safety concerns have curtailed the practice.
Once overlap is achieved then that crew moves up a place in the ladder and will start the next race in that position. Naturally the losing crew will move down a place.
Each college uses the racing to showcase the talents of individuals within their respective college crew and thereby hopefully earn them a place to represent the entire university. Those who reach that pinnacle earn their colours for the university which by their nature are referred to as ‘Blues’
Coastal Races
Medium distance events
This is coastal racing that takes place in the Littoral Zone and encompasses coastal offshore events and beach launch regattas but has been expanded to include the coast lines of any large expanse of inland water. Generally water conditions are rough which adds to the excitement
Cross Ocean Racing
Ultra Long distance Racing
This is racing across an ocean. Specialised expensive boats are used for these events which take months to complete.
