Forty years of San Diego Crew Classic

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Raced over 2000m on a buoyed Mission Bay course, the San Diego Crew Classic has its roots in an idea thought up by Patty Wyatt of San Diego’s all-women’s rowing club, ZLAC. Wyatt, along with Joe Jessop of the San Diego Rowing Club, established the event to try to get university crews from the East and West Coast of the United States together early in the rowing season. In 1973 it came together as primarily an eights event. Nine crews raced.

From that point the Crew Classic enjoyed ongoing success and growth. Wyatt and Jessop remained as organisers introducing junior, club and masters events but keeping the focus on collegiate (university) racing. The Copley Cup, the prize for winning the premier men’s collegiate race, became highly desired. In 1983 the Whittier Cup became the prize for the women’s collegiate eights race. It is now called the Jessop-Whittier Cup.

Crew Classic president Sean Jenkins says right from onset collegiate racing was the focus.”We’ve really tried to stay true to who we are and we’ve stayed true to being a competitive event,” says Jenkins. “About 50 per cent of the 4000 athletes are collegiate, about 25 per cent are high school and about 25 per cent are club and masters rowers.”

A small number of crews from countries outside of the United States come to the Crew Classic, mainly from Great Britain. Jenkins says there is talk of trying to expand the number of overseas entries. Any expansion, however, will take organised consideration as Jenkins says they are currently near to capacity.

“We have a certain number of races, so if you don’t register early enough you go on to a waiting list,” says Jenkins. “We’re about at the max at present. We are thinking of how to grow (adding another day has been considered), but we don’t want to impact on the mission of being a competitive event.”

The event attracts around 25,000 spectators who line the Mission Bay beach while crews carry their boats down the beach and into the water. Coverage is streamed live nationally. There are three paid staff and 50 active volunteers throughout the year with this rising to about 600 for the regatta weekend.

Alumni gatherings are popular. “We consistently see certain crews,” says Jenkins. “Some come to row, some don’t.” Jenkins estimates that a number of crews have been to about 35 of the 40 crew classics like the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford and the University of Washington.

This year the Crew Classic turned on its usual sunny San Diego weather, a welcome break for crews coming out of a long, cold winter. University of Southern California won the Jessop-Whittier Cup for the third straight year. University of California, Berkeley was second and University of Virginia third.

For the men, the University of California, Berkeley was first making it their 12th win of the Copley Cup in 40 years. Only the University of Washington has won more times with 13. Stanford University was second and University of Pennsylvania was third.  

View the Crew Classic promotional video here.