Over 530 participants coming to Tempe Town Lake's biggest rowing event ever this Saturday! 

 

DESERT SPRINTS REGATTA LAUNCHES

NEW RACE COURSE ON TEMPE TOWN LAKE

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Tempe, AZ, March 6, 2013) — Tempe Town Lake introduces the new Albano six-lane buoyed race course at the upcoming 12^th annual Desert Sprints Regatta on March 9, 2013. The $48,000 race course is one of only six such race courses in the western United States and is the international standard in rowing, kayaking, and canoeing events, including the Olympics.

"The new course is as precise as you can get, and that’s very important for establishing Tempe Town Lake as a world-class racing venue," said Kathy Moum, president of the Tempe Rowers Association (TRA), which sponsors the Desert Sprints Regatta. The TRA partnered with the City of Tempe to fund the new race course, which uses a system of anchors, underwater wires and buoys. "What’s particularly gratifying is the local angle — the course was funded by past competitors and regatta attendees, through entry fees and merchandise purchases from previous regattas."

Teams will compete in more than fifty 2000-meter and 1000-meter events in both sculling (two oars per rower) and sweep (one oar per rower) boats over the course of the day. Rowing clubs from California, Connecticut, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Illinois and Canada will compete against Arizona's best junior, collegiate and Masters crews in one of the first regattas of the spring sprint season. For the second year, the event will also feature adaptive racing to showcase a committed and growing group of adaptive athletes, many of whom are preparing for national competition in adaptive rowing.

Spectator areas are located along the lake's north shore, adjacent to regatta headquarters with boat launching at the SRP Marina. The Desert Sprints event begins at 7:00am and will continue throughout the day.

Tempe Town Lake, a 220-acre urban oasis located just north of Arizona State University and the downtown Mill Avenue District, is a favorite spot for water sports enthusiasts. The venue has hosted competitive crews including the U.S. National Team, the Canadian National Team, Denmark and other countries, and several universities across the nation. Annual rowing events include the Desert Sprints Regatta each spring and Hot Head Regatta each fall.

For updated information on the Tempe Rowers Association or the Desert Sprints Regatta, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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