Liftbridge Regatta

Liftbridge Regatta
Saturday, September 28, 2019

Fairport Crew Boathouse
1399 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY

Upcoming is our first regatta of the Fall season, the 15th Annual Liftbridge Regatta held here locally in the historic village of Fairport near Perinton Park on the Erie Canal on Sat, Sept. 28th. The races will start at the flood gates just NE of I-490 and finish before the Lift Bridge in Fairport. All rowers will start from the same location and finish at Perinton Park. Saturday begins with an early morning and we will be there through late afternoon. This is typically a fun regatta and a great opportunity for local family and friends to come watch the races. It is also easy to view as the canal is so close to the spectators and only 1-2 boats come through at a time.

Notes for this weekend:

  • The Fairport Crew Boathouse is 160 meters (0.1 mile) from the finish line. Launching and docking will be done at the Fairport Crew docks. The boathouse is located on a portion of Perinton Park.
  • Our trailer will be located behind the AMF Bowling Alley.
  • Rower Drop Off: Those dropping off rowers will be able to do so at the AMF Bowling Center. Enter the parking lot and follow the attendents’ directions to the turn-around, where you can drop off your rower, and then depart to the spectator parking lot to the west of the Bowling Center.  There is absolutely NO parking at the AMF Bowling Center lot.
  • We will be loading the trailer Friday during practice. We will unload on Monday during practice.
  • Saturday is an early morning into the late afternoon, please plan to stay for the whole event.
Lets have a great first race of the season! Go Mercy!
Coach Casey & the Mercy Crew Coaches

SCHEDULE:

  • Friday 9/27 – Trailer Loading at the Boathouse – 3:30-5:30 pm
    • Loading will take the full practice as this is the first time we will load the trailer this season.
    • NO early departures we need every rower to complete this process.
    • Fall Family Social – 5:30-7:00 pm
  • Saturday 9/28  – Race Day!
    • 6:00 am Arrival for Coxswains, Varsity & Novice 4+ – to unload & rig boats
    • 6:30 am Coaches and Coxswains Meeting
    • 6:50 am – Novice 4+ Launch (right after Coaches/Cox’s Mtg)
    • 7:30 am – 1st Varsity 8+ Launch
    • 7:40 am – 2nd Varsity 8+‘s Launch
    • 7:45 am Arrival for Novice 8+ 
    • 7:50 am Event 3 (Bow 8) – Girls Novice 4+ (Boat: Peartree)
    • 8:30 am – Event 6 (Bow 21) – Girls 1st Varsity 8+ (Boat: New 8)
    • 8:40 am – Event 7 (Bows 26 & 30)Girls 2nd Varsity 8+‘s (Boats: King & SS)
    • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Lunch 🍔🥗
    • 12:10 pm – Novice 8+ Meet at Trailer
    • 12:00-12:30 pm – Break for Colonial Belle to transit the course
    • 12:40 pm – Novice 8+ Launch
    • 1:40 pm – Event 27 (Bow 105Girls Novice 8+ (Boat: Tica)

Notes:

  • Girls should report directly to the trailer by their scheduled arrival time.
  • Girls in the Novice 4+, Varsity 8+ and Coxswains are to arrive having eaten breakfast ahead of time.
  • Girls in the Novice 8, upon arrival, should meet at the tent/ race area to cheer on the team.
  • Boats will meet and warm up 1.5 hours before launch time.
  • Boats will get ‘hands on 1 hour prior to race time.
  • Boats will launch no later than 45 minutes prior to their event.
  • Boats are to launch from the docks at the FCC Boathouse.
  • Launching:
    • Coaches & coxswains will help launch the Novice 4.
    • The Novice 8 will help launch the Varsity 8’s.
    • Seniors will help launch the Novice 8.
  • All high school head race events are single lane races with staggered starts. The Lift Bridge Regatta is rowed over a 3,862 meter course beginning at the guard gate east of the Interstate 490 bridge and finishing at Perinton Park, just beyond the Fairport Crew Club Boathouse.
  • Medals will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. A crew must beat another boat in order to receive a medal.

 💻  LIFTBRIDGE REGATTA MERCY CREW ENTRIES LINK

 💻  LIFTBRIDGE REGATTA ‘HEAT SHEETS’ LINK  

Heat Sheets provide the final detailed schedule with times, event numbers, competing crews & bow numbers.

ROWER EXPECTATIONS

  • Rowers are to meet at the trailer at the time indicated. You will have your uniform on, water bottle ready, sneakers for warm up and positive attitude by this time.
  • Rowers come dressed for the weather with dry layers/sunscreen/refillable water bottle and of course their uniform.
  • Coxswains attend the coxswain meeting and meet with their boats to go over race plan.
  • Rowers bring their own oars down to the dock area.
  • Each rower rigs their own seat in the shell. (Coxswains oversee). Big sisters should help little sisters.
  • Everyone helps unload and load the trailer.
  • No one leaves until they are dismissed after the trailer has been loaded.
  • After your race, you will meet as a boat before being dismissed to get food.
  • No wandering off, check in with a coach if leaving the race area, even if with your family.  Stay with a buddy and cheer on your teammates.
  • You are representing Mercy Crew and Our Lady of Mercy. You will conduct yourself with good sportsmanship throughout the day.
  • Be alert on the dock and in the trailer area.
  • There will be down time.  Rowers cannot leave the venue during down time, and are expected to be by the trailer or cheering for teammates throughout the day.  Homework is a good option during down time!

COURSE MAP & RULES

Coxswains: Prior to race day please review the following (click the links):
Rowers and Parents:You may find this information helpful as well.

ATTIRE

  • Varsity
    • Unisuits
    • Pink Sports Bra
    • Pink Headsweats Visor or Hat
    • Optional: White long sleeve tech shirt and / navy or black leggings for the cooler morning
  • Novice
    • Navy Mercy Crew t-shirt
    • Navy Rowing/ Spandex Shorts
    • Light Blue Headsweats Visor or Hat
    • Optional: White long sleeve tech shirt and / navy or black leggings for the cooler morning
  • Waterproof boots are a recommended in the event of rain or wet conditions. There are a lot of grassy areas near the tents that tends to get muddy with the heavy foot traffic.
  • Have a plastic garbage bag with you to put your bag in to keep it dry if it rains or is wet near the trailer.

FAMILY/ PARENT EXPECTATIONS

  • Think of the trailer like a locker room. Parents should not be by the trailer. We want the girls to be independent rigging their equipment and focusing on their races when it is time to meet.
  • For safety/ efficiency, parents should not be on the dock, unless asked by a coach to help.
  • Have fun! Cheer on your girls! And celebrate their continued hard work!
  • Parents of Novice Rowers:
    You are encouraged to meet your rower’s big sister families to learn the ropes of being a crew parent. Regattas are all day affairs, bring a chair, binoculars (maybe a book) and enjoy.

HOSPITALITY

  • Breakfast:We will have breakfast pizza, bagels, fruit, yogurt & other misc continental breakfast items, however no cooked breakfast.
  • Lunch: We will be preparing hamburgers & veggie burgers, garden salad, pasta salad, fruit salad & watermelon
  • All food donations that families signed up for should be brought to the Mercy Crew Hospitality Tent upon arrival.
  • All food & drink is available for rowers & families throughout the day.
  • If you have not yet provided your family’s meal count for the regatta, please do so ASAP by clicking the Signup Genius link below.
Please contact Hospitality Chairs, Tina Trudeau, Christine Thomas or Val Riggs with any questions at hospitality@mercycrew.org

MISC INFORMATION

  • Liftbridge Regatta T-shirts will be available for purchase at the venue.  Price will be $20-25.
  • Restrooms are available in Perinton Park and in the boathouse.  It is asked that all spectators use the Perinton Park restrooms or the porta-potties at the race site and reserve the boathouse restrooms for athletes and race officials.
  • Parents are encouraged to wear their fan wear and to bring your cow bells to cheer the rowers on. You may find a pair of binoculars helpful.
  • Bring chairs but space along the canal path is limited.
  • Bring waterproof boots as the grassy area where the tents and viewing area are tends to get muddy with the heavy foot traffic of the day.

PARKING

Rower Drop Off: Those dropping off rowers will be able to do so at the AMF Bowling Center. Enter the parking lot and follow the attendents’ directions to the turn-around, where you can drop off your rower, and then depart to the spectator parking lot to the west of the Bowling Center.  There is absolutely NO parking at the AMF Bowling Center lot.

All spectators are asked to park in the large parking lot for Qualitrol Company, LLC, next door to the Fairport Crew Club boathouse at 1385 Fairport Road (Route 31F), Fairport. Almost the entire parking lot is available, and is only a short walk (0.1 mile) on the same side of the street to the boathouse. The entrance is 700 feet east of the intersection of O’Connor Road and Fairport Road. Please follow signs for the regatta parking so we don’t use spaces needed by Qualitrol employees.

Although the lower lot at Perinton Park (listed as ‘Spectator Parking’ in the photograph, below) is available, we ask that you NOT park in that lot. Crossing Route 31F at that location is risky, so if you do park in that lot, proceed east toward the canal and walk to the boathouse on the canal path from Perinton Park instead of crossing Route 31F.

Handicapped Parking Only:  Use the upper parking lot at Perinton Park, and walk, or use your wheel chair, on the towpath to get to the boathouse (a relatively level pathway).

PLEASE NOTE: O’Connor Road has moved and is now directly opposite Jefferson Avenue near the Mobil station on Route 31F.

Liftbridge Regatta Site Map
(Click on the map picture to open in Google Maps)

– Spectator Parking indicated in Green
– Boat Trailer & Reserved Regatta Parking Areas indicated by Purple P icons
– Hospitality Tent Area marked by Purple Food icon
– Spectator Viewing along the Erie Canal Path & waling paths highlighted in Yellow
– Fairport Crew Club Boathouse marked by FCC logo icon
– Launch Docks marked by Purple strip
– Race Course marked by Red line
– Finish Line marked by Red Flag icon


Liftbridge Regatta 2019 Congratulations!

Congratulations to our Novice Girls 8+ on their Second Place finish!

And to all of our boats for a great performance. Crews all got off the water feeling that they had done their best. We are very proud of all of the rowers and coxswains! Thank you to everyone for supporting one another, getting the boats on and off the trailer efficiently, and for being such great teammates!

💻  LIFTBRIDGE REGATTA 2019 RESULTS