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Charm City Regatta set for Saturday
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The Charm City Regatta is about to set sail.
The Regatta, sponsored by the Baltimore Rowing Club, begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and will feature at least 29 1,100-meter races and approximately 400 competitors, club president Cindy Ching said.
Six lanes will be set up between Westport and the Hanover Street Bridge, where teams will compete for medals in different age groups, ranging from the juniors division — high school competitors — to the elderly, pulling athletes from 17 to 20 boat clubs.
“Right now, we're in open season,” said Ching, a seven-year member in her third year as president. “The sport of rowing goes to people of all ages [up to those in their] 70s and 80s.”
Teams are expected from Annapolis, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Virginia which Ching said, is a testament to how the Baltimore Rowing Club is viewed through its performances in various regattas.
“Part of the promotion is participating in other regattas,” she said. “As other crews see that we're competitive, they want to be at our race. … That's how we decide which races we participate in.”
Baltimore Rowing Club social chair Kathy Nickel is continuously trying to spread the word of the regattas and generate local fan interest.
Originally, Nickel planned to have a separate race between teams formed through corporations around Baltimore. However, the Rowing Club didn't receive enough corporate sponsors, delaying Nickel's plans for another year.
The club's hope is that the Charm City Regatta resembles that of Philadelphia's Dad Vial.
“Our club is growing,” said Nickel, one of approximately 200 members.
“We're trying to bring more publicity to this race. We're trying to make it bigger. Next year will be a lot bigger.”
In February, the Baltimore Rowing Club put together an indoor challenge, where individuals competed on rowing machines.
The third challenge, a three-mile race in the fall, is set for September.
Over the last three years, along with developer Pat Turner, the Baltimore Rowing Club has been able to offer several college scholarships to local rowers who participate in the Charm City Regatta.
“The benefit to the city right now,” Nickel said, “is what we're doing for the kids.”
