Enjoying The Regattas
If you want to sit down during the events you can walk down the trails to the finish line area where you will find concrete bleachers. Bring a soft cushion to sit on. There are also other areas close to the finish line where you can seat on the ground or you can bring a lightweight folding chair. You can buy a copy of the regatta schedule, food and drinks at the snack bar near the finish line (soda, water, hot dogs, burgers, etc).
And don't forget binoculars! It's sometimes difficult to make out which boat belongs to which team. The secret is to look at the oars which has a different color and symbol for each school. Below is how you can tell which team is which from a distance.
These are a list of all the oar styles used in the 2009 regattas at Sandy Run.
Just in case you can't make out the name, you may wish to print off OARS.
The start line is far down the river near the dam. It is difficult to see the beginning of the race without a strong set of binoculars. The announcers let people know when the teams are on the water and in what lane. Lane Six is the lane closes to the Fairfax side. Lane One is the lane closes to the Prince William side of the river.
The finish line is closes to the reviewing stands and is actually a marker on the Prince William side of the Occuquan. Judges watch from the Fairfax side as the boats cross this line for timing purposes.
Emergencies
All regattas have volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) squads on site. They are there for your benefit. They, like everyone else involved in the regatta, are donating their time. Please let them know how much you appreciate their contributions.
Please note that several laws govern what the EMT can and cannot do in the event of a medical emergency. The EMTs provide us with two levels of response: basic life support and advanced life support. In the event that advanced life support is activated, they are legally required to evacuate the victims to the hospital to be further attended to by a physician. Generally, in addition to a serious accident, any situation that would require an EMT to administer medication, other than oxygen, is considered advanced life support.
If you or your student receives minor first aid from someone other than the EMT during the course of the regatta, please stop by and have the EMTs review your incident at your earliest convenience.
Food and Water
As in the past we will set up a table for parents to donate food for the rowers. The food supplied on the tables is opened to all Fairfax High School rowers and their parents. This year the board is asking for only healthy snacks and drinks to be provided. To ensure consistency, the board will be distributing a list of things to bring and coordinating with parents to ensure an even distribution of supplies.
In the past Sandy Run has allowed bottle water. This has created numerous environmental problems and this year Sandy Run is discouraging bottle water. Fairfax Crew will provide a container of water and ask rowers and parents to bring recyclable containers for filling up multiple times. It is recommended names and the FHS be put on the containers.
