Boat racing (Regatta) is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other water-borne craft for as long as such watercraft have existed.
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term comes from the Venetian language, with regata meaning "contest, contention for mastery"(from regatare ("compete, haggle, sell at retail"), possibly from recatare) and typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround the racing event, and except in the case of boat type (or "class") championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place; for example “valley field”.
One of the largest and most popular rowing regattas is the Henley Royal Regatta held on the River Thames, England. One of the largest and oldest yachting regattas in the world is Cowes Week, which is held annually by the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England, and usually attracts over 900 sailing boats. Cowes Week is predated by the Cumberland Cup (1775), Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta (1822) and Port of Plymouth Regatta (1823). North America's oldest regatta is the Royal St. John's Regatta held on Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John's, Newfoundland every year since 1818.
Rowing
World Rowing Federation championship events
World Rowing Cup World Rowing Championships World Rowing Junior Championships World Rowing Under 23 Championships European Rowing Championships
North America
United States
American Henley Regatta, first world championships in the United States Dad Vail Regatta, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, championships for college clubs The Harvard–Yale Regatta – also known as 'The Race' Head of the Charles Regatta, on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts Head of the Hooch, on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, college championships for men and lightweight women Marathon Rowing Championship a continuous rowing regatta on Cane River Lake in Natchitoches, Louisiana New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships Poughkeepsie Regatta was an historical regatta that hosted the IRA National Championship from 1895 until 1949. Scholastic Rowing Association of America Championships USRowing National Championships The Windermere Cup - between the University of Washington and one or several challengers of their choice San Diego Crew Classic – Mission Bay, San Diego, California. Founded in 1973, it is the inaugural race of the rowing season among rowers of all genders, levels, and abilities.
Canada
The Brentwood Regatta is held in the spring and is one of the largest high school rowing regattas on the west coast of North America. Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, in the first week of August is one of the largest annual regattas in North America, attracting hundreds of clubs in 128 junior, senior, and master's events. Royal St. John's Regatta, held every year on Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John's, Newfoundland, North America's oldest annual sporting event. Dominion Day Regatta, held every year since 1884 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The oldest and largest combined paddling and rowing regatta for participants across North America.
Europe
United Kingdom
Regattas on the River Thames lists all Thames rowing regattas and other rowing events The Boat Race is a rowing race between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club. It is rowed annually each Spring on the Thames in London. Henley Royal Regatta, held every year on the River Thames is one of several prestigious British events Lent and May Bumps, the two main intercollegiate bumps races of the University of Cambridge, held on the Cam. The National Schools Regatta is the largest regatta for junior rowers in Great Britain The Boat Race of the North – between the University of Durham and the University of Newcastle Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta, held annually at the end of August on the River Dart. Summer Eights, along with Torpids, the two intercollegiate bumps races of Oxford University, held on the Isis in Oxford. The Welsh Boat Race is a rowing race between the Swansea University Rowing Club and the Cardiff University Boat Club. It is rowed annually each Spring on the Taff River or the River Tawe in South Wales. The City of Exeter Rowing Regatta, the oldest rowing regatta in the South West, is held annually in Exeter in July.
Continental Europe
Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare, Italy The Croco's Cup, international rowing regatta at University level held every year in Paris since 1985, organised by students of ENSTA (Paristech). Tour du Lac, around the lake Geneva is the 160 km (99 mi) the longest non-stop rowing regatta in the world. Kontxako Bandera, rowing regatta in San Sebastián, Basque Country. Vienna Nightrow is an international sprint rowing regatta for eights in Austria at night. The Danube Regatta / Dunai Regatta Hungary's largest university rowing race, held annually on the Danube in Budapest. Balaton Regatta, held every year on the Lake Balaton between the teams of Veszprém Campus and Keszthely Campus of University of Pannonia Maltese National Regatta, held bi-annually on 31 March and 8 September in the Grand Harbour, Valletta Varsity, student race held annually on the Amsterdam-Rhine canal over 3 km (1.85 mi). Koninklijke , held annually on the Bosbaan in the single sculls. Dragon boat racing – a type of human-powered watercraft racing, originating from oriental Asia Canoe racing – competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking Kayak racing Outrigger canoe racing
Sailing Sailing race events are typically held for a single one design class and usually last more than one day. Regattas may be hosted by a yacht club, sailing association, town or school as in the case of the UK's National School Sailing Association and Interscholastic Sailing Association (high school) regattas or Intercollegiate Sailing Association (college) regattas.
The Barcolana regatta of the yacht club Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano is currently the Guinness world record holder as the "largest sailing race" with 2,689 boats and over 16,000 sailors at the starting line. Currently, The Three Bridge Fiasco, conducted by the Singlehanded Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay with more than 350 competitors is the largest sailboat race in the United States.
Types Yacht racing – the sport of competitive yachting Team racing – also known as teams racing, is a popular form of yacht racing 2025 ISAF Team Racing World Championship: Hosted 28 May–1 June 2025 by the New York Yacht Club in Newport, using a new 2-v-2 keelboat format.“2025 Team Racing World Championship,” New York Yacht Club, https://nyyc.org/2025-team-race-world-championship (accessed 1 August 2025). 2025 29er World Championship: Held 1–8 August 2025 in Porto, Portugal, with over 250 two-person dinghy teams.“2025 29er World Championship,” 29er Class Association, [insert official 29er Worlds link here] (accessed 1 August 2025).
Oldest sailing regattas
1775 – Cumberland Cup, organised by the Royal Thames Yacht Club, UK 1777 – Lough Ree Regatta, organised by Athlone Yacht Club, Ireland. 1792 – Whitstable Regatta UK 1822 – Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta, Dartmouth, UK 1823 – Port of Plymouth Regatta, Plymouth, UK 1826 – Cowes Week, Isle of Wight, UK 1828 – Kingstown Regatta, (now renamed Dún Laoghaire), IrelandHunts Yachting Magazine 1865 1828 – Royal Harwich Regatta, Harwich, UK 1834 – Lough Derg Regatta, at Killaloe, Williamstown and Drumineer, Ireland.Leinster Express, 30 August 1834 1837 – Sydney Australia Day Regatta, held every year since 1837, the longest running without a break 1838 – Royal Hobart Regatta, Australia 1840 – Auckland Anniversary Regatta, New Zealand 1844 – Royal Geelong Regatta / Audi Victoria Week, Royal Geelong Yacht Club, Australia 1845 – New York Yacht Club Regatta, United States 1849 – Pass Christian Regatta Club on July 21, 1849; twelve boats participated. First regatta on the U.S. Gulf Coast 1849 – Sandy Bay Australia Day Regatta Australia 1850 – Race to the Coast, Southern Yacht Club Regatta. Oldest continuously running regatta in the Western Hemisphere United States 1851 – America's Cup, usually competed for in the country of the current defender/holder 1851 – Port Esperance Regatta, Australia 1856 – Chester Race Week, Nova Scotia, Canada 1857 – Gorey Regatta, Jersey, Channel Islands 1879 – Kontxako Bandera, San Sebastián, Basque Country 1882 – Kiel Week, Kiel, Germany 1885 – Appledore & Instow Regatta, North Devon, UK 1886 – Torbay Royal Regatta, Torbay, UK 1894 – Britannia Boating Club, Ottawa, Canada 1934 – The Kékszalag/Blue Ribbon, Europe's oldest Round-the-Lake Regatta held annually on Lake Balaton, Hungary.
Current sailing regattas
Aegean Rally, Aegean Sea, Greece America's Cup, hosted by prior winner The Athlone Yacht Club Regatta on Lough Ree, IrelandAthlone Sentinel, 31 Aug. 1835 Appledore & Instow Regatta – founded in 1885, tracing its origins back to 1831, is held annually on the River Torridge between the Villages of Appledore & Instow North Devon, UK. Auckland Anniversary Regatta held annually on the Waitemata Harbour to celebrate Auckland Anniversary Day Balmain Regatta held annually on Sydney Harbour, Australia Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta, one of the largest single start sailing regattas in the world, held annually on the second Sunday of October in Trieste, Italy Bass Week, Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria Bay Week, Put-in-Bay, Ohio Block Island Race Week, Rhode Island The Kékszalag/Blue Ribbon, Europe's oldest Round-the-Lake Regatta held annually on Lake Balaton, Hungary. Canada's Cup, held periodically on the Great Lakes. Canadian Olympic-training Regatta, Kingston (CORK) held annually in August in Kingston, Ontario Canada. Carriacou Regatta Festival, Hillsborough, Carriacou, Grenada. W.I. - First weekend in August each year. CASON Grand Prize Solo Regatta, Lake Balaton, Hungary, held annually in September. Charleston Race Week, Charleston, South Carolina, held each April for three days, with races staged both in Charleston Harbor and offshore. Chester Race Week, Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada, 15 keelboat fleets race for 4 full days on 5 courses in mid-August on Mahone Bay Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, held annually in July, starting in Chicago on Lake Michigan and ending at Mackinac Island on Lake Huron. Columbus Day Regatta, Miami, Florida, annually in October. Chichester-Cowes Challenge, held annually at the end of June on the Solent, and welcomes only classic wooden boats, mainly built in the 1920s–1930s.http://www.yachtregatta.co.uk The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Cork Week, Cork, Ireland. Hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club bi-annually. Cowes Week, Royal Yacht Squadron, England Dún Laoghaire Regatta, Ireland, combined Dún Laoghaire Yacht Clubs, held Biannually. Færderseilasen, Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (KNS), from Oslo to Horten via Færder lighthouse. The Fastnet Race Figawi Race, Hyannis, Massachusetts Fowey Royal Regatta, Fowey Cornwall annually in August Hangon Regatta, an annual event in the city of Hanko, Finland, infamous for attracting large groups of partying youths with a tangential interest in the sailing itself Harvest Moon Regatta, Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook Texas hosts cruisers regatta during full moon in October each year from Galveston to Port AransasHarvestMoonRegatta.com Kamer 2 Sailing Marathon, Kaag, Netherlands, annually in September Key West Race Week, Key West, Florida