Oak Ridge Rowing Association will host U.S. championships
The Oak Ridge Rowing Association will host the U.S. Rowing Masters National Rowing Championships on the Melton Lake rowing course from Aug. 12-15.
The event draws competitors ages 21 and up from all over the United States for what will be, for many, their first big regatta in two years.
The event was last hosted by ORRA in 2017.
Racing will run each day from approximately 8 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Setup for the event will begin on Saturday, Aug. 7. Teams will begin to arrive Tuesday, Aug. 10, and begin practice Wednesday, Aug. 11 for the four-day regatta.
Heavy traffic is expected around Melton Lake Park and along Melton Lake Drive. Expect cars to be parked along Melton Lake Drive. Melton Lake Park will be closed to non-race parking.
The boat ramp at Melton Lake Park and the ramp just upstream of the park will be closed for this Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency-permitted event.
Melton Lake Greenway will remain open to the public; please be aware of congestion and use caution along the rowing course, especially at Melton Lake Park.
Melton Lake will be a strict No Wake Zone, patrolled by TWRA and regatta officials, from the area upstream of Calhoun’s restaurant and downstream to the UT Battelle Rowing Finish Tower.
Boaters are asked to allow extra time and use caution if they plan to traverse the racecourse and to do so at idle speed.
In 2017, there were almost 1,500 crews racing from 125 clubs in 29 states and foreign entries from Canada, Germany, and Mexico.
While COVID led to the cancellation of the 2020 spring and summer races (including the 2020 and 2021 spring training teams), events have opened up this year close to the same numbers are expected again this year.
For more information or questions, visit ORRA.org or contact the Oak Ridge Rowing Association Regatta Director Matt Kaminski at mkaminski@orra.org.