Rowing Canada Aviron Regattas

Royal Canadian Henley

The regatta, sometimes referred to simply as "Henley," was established by RCA (then known as the Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen) shortly after the association's creation in 1880. The regatta was hosted by different clubs in Quebec and Ontario until it settled in St. Catharines in 1903. It is, in effect, the Canadian club championships and has grown to become the largest of its kind in the western world. The Royal Canadian Henley regatta is held each year in early August on the Henley Course on Martindale Pond in the former village of Port Dalhousie in St. Catharines. The course is recognized as a FISA category ‘A' rowing venue.

Throughout Henley week races start every seven minutes from early morning to late evening. The regatta organization is without equal anywhere in the rowing world. It's an experience no one should miss!
The Henley is run by the Canadian Henley Regatta Committee formed through a partnership between the Canadian Henley Rowing Corporation and RCA. The year 2009 marked the 127th annual Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. See www.henleyregatta.ca for the latest information.

National Rowing Championships

The inaugural National Rowing Championships (NRC) were held in Welland, Ontario in 2006 at the Welland International Flat Water Centre (WIFC). The 2007 NRC was held at the WIFC in conjunction with the Canadian University Rowing Championships. In 2008 the regatta moved to Fanshawe Lake in London, Ontario, home of RCA's National Training Centre (East). The regatta was held in London again in 2009.

Staged each fall, the NRC is RCA's small boat regatta for singles and pairs and is used to rank nationally carded athletes and provincial team competitors in the Under 19, Under 23 and Senior aged categories at the end of the rowing season and to identify athletes with potential to be named to future national teams.

Canadian Masters Championships

The Rowing Canada Aviron Canadian Masters Championships (CMC) is held in a different location in August each year hosted by a rowing club selected by RCA. In 2009, the event was held in Victoria, B.C. The regatta is for masters aged competitors (27 to 80+ years) and all races are 1000 metres in length and is open to any club rower in the world.

This year, the regatta will not he held to due to the fact that Canada will host the FISA 2010 World Rowing Masters in St. Catharines, Ont., September 2- 5.

Canada Games Regatta

Every four years the Canada Games Council and a town or city in Canada host the Canada Games and RCA oversees the staging of the Games Regatta. The 2000-metre event, open only to provincial teams, uses the FISA progression system over four days of racing to determine the champions in an age group particular to the Games, Under 21.

The 2009 Games regatta was staged on the Southwest River in P.E.I. The 2013 Games will be in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

For other important dates, see the Calendar page.