Eighth-annual Sarasota Invitational Regatta sets sail this weekend

The eighth-annual Sarasota Invitational Regatta will commence Feb. 25 and 26 at Nathan Benderson Park. 

Youth, masters and adaptive athletes will compete in the regatta. Races will run back-to-back from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event will feature head-to-head racing by up to eight boats at a time.

This year’s regatta has drawn over 70 clubs from all around the country, more than 800 boat entries and approximately 1,500 athletes. 

Saturday will also feature the second annual Rowing for Life event, scheduled for noon. In this special race, boats that combine youth and adult rowers will race in eight-person boats for a $1,000 prize that will to go to the winning youth team.

Sunday also has special events, including two races reserved for military veterans, called Operation Showdown. These rowers will be seated into rowing shells by military service.

Vendors will be set up on Regatta Island to serve up food and drinks and sell rowing-themed T-shirts and other merchandise

Admission to the regatta is free, but parking will cost $5.

The Sarasota Invitational Regatta is co-hosted by Sarasota County Rowing Club and the Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates, Inc. (SANCA), the nonprofit that operates Nathan Benderson Park.

For more information on the event, visit www.SarasotaInvitationalRegatta.com or contact Mary Chadsey at [email protected].