A regatta is a full day of competitive races held rain or shine. Races usually begin around 8:30 am and finish about 4:30 pm. Most paddlers will compete in anywhere from 2-8 races over the course of the day usually against others their own age, with lots of other races to watch in-between! Races can be singles (K-1 or C-1), team boats (K-2 or K-4, C-2 or C-4) or even war canoe (also known as C-15). In Ontario, races can be local in the GTA (e.g. Mississauga), but larger regattas are often held in Welland and Ottawa. The coach will enter paddlers in advance. You’ll have a copy of the race “draw” (or schedule) usually a few days prior to the regatta. It’s important to carefully review the draw so you know which races you’re in. Usually the club boats are loaded onto the trailer the evening before the regatta and all paddlers are expected to help. Arrive at the regatta course about 60-90 minutes prior to the first race of the day to unload the trailer and set up the club canopy. The coach will let you know the time to arrive for the regatta but be prepared to be there as early as 7 am. Check in with your coach at least an hour before your first race. At the end of the day, all paddlers help in re-loading the trailer (this means even if your last race was several hours before, you are expected to wait with the rest of the team members until everyone has completed their races). Once the trailer is reloaded, all paddlers meet back at the RHCC clubhouse to unload the trailer after the regatta.