May Regatta is a Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 international Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron (FISA) rowing

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 regatta. The race is known under this name since the beginning of the 20th century. The English international teams (mostly Leander Club

Leander Club

Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. It is based in Remenham in the English county of Berkshire, adjoining Henley-on-Thames...

) where beaten for the first on the Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

 Grand Challenge Cup

Grand Challenge Cup

The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...

 by the Belgians of Royal Club Nautique de Gand

Royal Club Nautique de Gand

Royal Club Nautique de Gand...

 (Koninklijke Roeivereniging Club Gent).

It was in the years after the defeat that they have left the Albion for revenge - race and going boating on the European mainland. The race was known since 1888 up to 1954 as 'Bootjesvaring' of Cluysen - Ter Donck Regatta

Cluysen - Ter Donck Regatta

Cluysen - Ter Donck is now a hamlet along the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal,but for almost a century, there was a huge and very important international sporting event at that place.-History:...

 and took place at the Belgian - Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 Ghent-Terneuzen Canal

Ghent-Terneuzen Canal

The Ghent-Terneuzen Canal , also known as the "Sea Canal" is a canal linking Ghent in Belgium to the port of Terneuzen on the Westerschelde estuary in the Netherlands, thereby providing the former with better access to the sea.-History:The canal was constructed between 1823 and 1827 on the...

. Due to the growing traffic because of the success of the Port of Ghent

Port of Ghent

The port of Ghent is the third biggest port in Belgium. The first port of Ghent was situated at the Scheldt river and later on at the Lys river. Since the Middle Ages Ghent has sought for a connection to the sea. In the 13th century via the Lieve canal to the Zwin near Damme, in the 16th century...

, this regatta ended at Terdonck in 1954 and was not organised until the end of the 1970s, when it quickly became leading again in Europe.

The Urban Watersportbaan

Watersportbaan

The Watersportbaan is a five lane rowing race course in the Belgian city of Ghent. It is 2300 metres long and 76m wide and was first used in 1954...

 of Ghent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

 is the new location. Today, the Belgian Royal Rowing Federation, The East Flemish Rowing League

The East Flemish Rowing League

The East-Flemish Rowing League is a member of the Flemish Rowing League, the first federalised sports league of Belgium and member of the Belgian Royal Rowing Federation, which in turn is also a founding member of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron , the oldest Olympic...

 the Province of East Flanders

East Flanders

East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...

  and the Royal Sport Gent, under the impetus of the President Rombaut and co-organizers. Rombaut Jr. is Chairman of the Committee of the Umpires of the FISA, which together with Ghent University

Ghent University

Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...

 Rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 Paul Van Cauwenberge

Paul Van Cauwenberge

Paul Van Cauwenberge is a Belgian academic. He has been the rector of Ghent University since 1 October 2005.-Career:...

 is also the man behind the Ghent Student Regatta

Ghent Student Regatta

The Ghent Student Regatta is a boat race for students in April 2008 at Portus Ganda in the heart of historical Ghent in Dutch-speaking Flanders, Belgium, was in 2008 a common initiative of Paul Van Cauwenberge, the Rector of Ghent University, in collaboration with Ghent Students Rowing the sports...

.