The Brentwood Regatta in a Nutshell

23 April 2015Daniel L, Ellis ‘17; Photo by Brian Carr

As I drove through the Brentwood gates for the first time, after a long journey from Portland, Oregon, I felt the knot in my stomach. This was it, the moment I had been training for, The Brentwood Regatta. As the bus slowly rolled to a halt, I gathered my belongings and stepped into a world of rowing. I was instantly immersed in a sea of tall athletes dressed in tight spandex and sporty sunglasses. Coaches frantically darted back and forth across the campus. I proceeded onto a once neatly cut field now trampled by thousands of feet and dozens of trailers. Rowers huddled in tight clusters searching for a place to rest their road-weary bodies. Booming voices of announcers could barely be heard through the cheers and shouts of over 4,000 eager spectators. It was only Friday and the Regatta was already thriving with commotion. Visitors flooded through the gates, pouring down towards the waterfront attempting to get a glimpse of the excitement. Every seven minutes, crews flew by hand in hand, sprinting to the finish line. Crowds lined the shore from Crooks Hall all the way to the Ross building. Motorboats following the races whizzed up and down the 1500-meter course. The regatta was teeming with action. As this year’s Brentwood Regatta is just 24 hours away, work around the campus by Brentwood’s maintenance staff, teachers, and students is clearly evident. Everything is starting to speed up as students and staff shift into high gear for tomorrow’s start. Students have received their respective jobs, the course has begun the initial setup, and the 300-foot start dock is in position. Tents such as those for the Entrepreneurship 11 students have been set up for their various booths, ready to offer a wide variety of hot food. The work that has gone into this mind-blowing event is starting to pay off. Now its time for the real stuff! This weekend marks Brentwood’s 45th Annual Regatta, and rowers from all across Canada and the Pacific Northwest are gearing up for it. Over the course of the weekend more than 1,600 athletes will participate in 169 races. The first race of the Regatta is scheduled to kick off at 2pm on Friday afternoon, and the Regatta will officially be underway. Enjoy this Brentwood weekend. Daniel L, Ellis ‘17

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