Universities from the Northeast and Canada will compete Sunday, Oct. 10, in the 2004 Stonehurst Capital Invitational Regatta held on the Genesee River in Genesee Valley Park. The regatta draws about 900 crew participants to one of the best-known collegiate fall rowing events. It is free to the public.
Co-hosted by the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester Business Alliance, and Genesee Waterways Center, the regatta features river racing, entertainment, food, and a chance to view Rochester’s fall foliage. The regatta carries the name of Stonehurst Capital, an investment firm located in downtown Rochester. Other sponsors include Deloitte & Touche LLP, LeChase Construction Services LLC, Nixon Peabody LLP, The Pike Company Inc., Harvard & Ivy League Alliance, and James Mazza & Associates.
Races begin at 9:30 a.m. with the best viewing areas on the grass south of the Elmwood Avenue bridge. At 11:30 a.m., the collegiate teams take a break and four area high school rowing programs—Pittsford, Brighton and Fairport school districts, and McQuaid Jesuit High School in Brighton—as well as alumni from Rochester and RIT will race. The afternoon events resume at 1:30 until about 3:30 p.m.
Crew teams from the University of Rochester and RIT compete in a field with athletes from Harvard University, Williams College, Syracuse University, and other U.S. colleges and universities. Canadian schools, including Brock University, University of Toronto, and Queens University, also are invited. Medals and trophies are awarded.
The morning races are head races to the finish line near the Interfaith Chapel; the afternoon races are sprint races when teams compete based on their performance in the morning. The regatta is in its 16th year and now part of the City of Rochester’s River Romance Weekend.
Parking is available on most University lots with Park Lot closest to the racing.