Regatta Structure and Volunteer Information - Oak Ridge Edition

Dogwood Youth Championship Race Structure & Regatta Volunteer Information - Oak Ridge Edition!

Championship Weekend Overview

Following this week’s volunteer call, a few great questions came up about how a championship regatta works - and when the best time to volunteer might be. With many new families joining us, we’ve pulled together this quick guide to help you plan your weekend, whether you’re volunteering (we hope you are!) or just getting the lay of the land. 

Rowing begins Friday! Coaches ask athletes to use school-excused absence options if needed.
First race is Friday afternoon, so while all athletes are needed to rig for the weekend, Friday racing athletes must be on the course by 3:15 PM. Athletes should be communicating directly with their coach the week before the race about their arrival times.

Where Should You Be During Your Athlete’s Race?

  • Start Line or Along the Course:
    Great for cheering those explosive sprinting starts - but far from the tent. Oak Ridge features a long path along the course, offering plenty of viewing spots. (Pro tip: pick a spot and watch them race by - unless you plan to sprint alongside the boat!)

  • Finish Line or Tent Area:
    Closer to the action and makes it easier to duck away from the tent to catch the final stretch of your athlete’s race.

  • Tent Location:
    Tent City is typically positioned in a great access spot for cheering as athletes launch and head toward the start.

Bottom line: Plan ahead to maximize both your volunteer time and your race-watching time!

Why Don’t I See All the Races Yet?

Dogwood is a progressive regatta, which means results from early races determine who advances - and to which event. We typically only know the first races in advance (usually Time Trials). The rest of the schedule builds out based on results.

Visit herenow.com for the latest, and as always, regattacentral.com is a good resource. 

Why Do Some Events Have More Races?

The number of entries in each category determines the progression structure:

  • Few entries → Direct to Grand Final (usually Sunday)

  • More entries → Semi Finals (SF)

  • High entries → Semi Finals and Petit Finals (also called “B Finals”)

For example, if an event has 30 boats:

  1. Time Trials (TT): All boats race to set rankings.

  2. Top 18 boats advance to Semi Finals.

  3. With a 6-lane course, there are three Semi Finals.

  4. The top 2 boats from each SF move on to the Grand Final (A Final).

  5. The next 6 fastest boats (e.g., 3rd & 4th from each SF) go to the Petit Final (B Final).

So, if a boat places 2nd in the B Final, they finish 8th overall in that event.

Grand Final determines 1st–6th, Petit Final determines 7th–12th — creating a full ranking for all advancing crews.

Volunteers - Plan Your Shift with Your Athlete’s Race in Mind

What shift(s) should I volunteer for?
All of them! Just kidding.

When choosing your shift, make sure it doesn’t conflict with your athlete’s race or your preferred viewing location. Also consider when you can realistically arrive based on your athlete’s hands-on time at the venue.

Reminder: Not every schedule lines up perfectly - we appreciate your flexibility and creativity! This keeps the amazing RGA Tent City culture alive: a welcoming home base and much-needed recovery space for our athletes and coaches.

For example:
If your athlete doesn’t need to be at the venue until 1:00 PM on Sunday, a 7:00 AM breakfast shift might not be ideal.
But if your athlete can carpool with a teammate and arrive later, you might be able to take an earlier shift without rushing back and forth.

The food tent is a success because of YOU - thank you!

Since this is a championship regatta, races are progressive. Find your athlete's Event #, and follow THAT event path progression. The spreadsheet below can help give you an idea of each event's path potential. Use this as a guide, but use herenow.com for realtime race times. This sheet is NOT linked to herenow.com, so make sure you follow the event # on herenow.com. 

2025 Dogwood Event Lineups Path Progression

VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP & EVENT DETAILS

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Volunteer Blocks at a Glance

FRIDAY - April 25

  • Setup (All Parents): As soon as you arrive, check in at the chuckwagon to help set up Tent City while rowers rig.

  • Friday Racers (Parents): From 4–6 PM, help stock coolers, prep snacks, and make sure water/electrolytes are ready at the tent and trailer.

SATURDAY - April 26

  • Breakfast: Grilling, smoothies, serving, tidying.

  • Lunch: Same as breakfast. Plus sunscreen patrol! 

  • Afternoon Block 1 & 2: Support post-race fueling, smoothie prep, tidy up, restock. The last shift helps prep for Sunday and lower the tent.

SUNDAY - April 27 (Finals Day!)

  • Breakfast & Lunch: All hands on deck! Smoothies, grill, serving, recovery fuel.

  • Afternoon & Wrap-Up: Continue serving and begin breakdown.

  • Final Shift (ALL PARENTS): Tent City Breakdown - clean up, pack bins, load the chuckwagon while rowers derig and load boats.

Note: Times may shift slightly depending on race results. HERENOW.com and regattacentral.com provide the latest race times and results. 

Thank You!

This village runs because of YOU. Your time, flexibility, and energy make a direct difference in the experience for every RGA athlete, coach, and family.

We can’t wait to see you in Oak Ridge - let’s make it another unforgettable regatta weekend! 

#DogwoodJuniors #RGAFamily #CrewLife #TentCityMagic #OakRidgeTN #RowingCommunity #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork

To sign-up to serve in the RGA Tent City, click HERE.

 

DogwoodJuniors #RGAFamily #Crew #CrewLifev#RegattaLife #TentCityMagic #RowingCommunity #OakRidgeTN #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork