Stotesbury Cup
Encyclopedia
The Stotesbury Cup Regatta
, sponsored by the Schuylkill Navy
, is "the world's oldest and largest high school rowing
competition." It is held annually in mid-May over a two-day period along the Schuylkill River
near Boathouse Row
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Although there is no official U.S. national high school rowing championship, Stotesbury is certainly one of the most prestigious. Competing crews come from schools all over North America
, though most hail from the Northeastern
and Mid-Atlantic
United States
.
The regatta
has many different events (30 in 2011) in which high school crews compete for various cups and trophies. Events vary by sex, age, weight category, number of rowers, and style of rowing (whether sweeping with one oar per rower or sculling with two oars per rower). The regatta takes its name from the main event, the Men's Senior Eight race, in which crews of eight oarsmen and one coxswain
compete for the Stotesbury Cup. The Stotesbury Cup in turn is named for Edward T. Stotesbury
of Philadelphia, a prominent partner at J.P. Morgan & Co. and its Philadelphia affiliate, Drexel & Co. The Women's Senior Eights compete for the Robert Engman
Trophy. The regatta has been running men's races since 1927; women's events were added in the mid 1970s. Powerhouse schools in men's events include E.L. Crossley Secondary School
, Holy Spirit, St. Joseph's Prep, Thomas Jefferson
, Winter Park
, Bishop Eustace Preparatory School
, Gonzaga College High School
, and Roman Catholic High School for Boys. Meanwhile, in women's events, Mount Saint Joeseph Academy
has emerged in recent years with strong showings in the Lightweight Eight and Senior Eight categories, though Bishop Eustace has taken the Senior Eight for the last three years (2007-2009).
s next to the finish line to receive their medals.
The Stotesbury Cup Regatta continues to grow in its size and level of competition as high school rowing gains popularity. In 2000, about 3,500 athletes competed in the regatta. In 2010, 5,500 athletes from 194 schools competed in 933 boats to make it the largest Stotesbury yet. As the sport continues to grow, this trend will likely persist as more and more rowers carry on the Stotesbury tradition.
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
, sponsored by the Schuylkill Navy
Schuylkill Navy
The Schuylkill Navy is an association of amateur rowing clubs of Philadelphia. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States...
, is "the world's oldest and largest high school 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...
competition." It is held annually in mid-May over a two-day period along the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
near Boathouse Row
Boathouse Row
-Early 19th century beginnings:The history of Boathouse Row begins with the construction of the Fairmount Dam and the adjacent Water Works. The Dam was built in 1810 as part of a lock at the Falls of the Schuylkill to bring coal downriver. The Dam submerged rapids and transformed the Schuylkill...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Although there is no official U.S. national high school rowing championship, Stotesbury is certainly one of the most prestigious. Competing crews come from schools all over North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, though most hail from the Northeastern
Atlantic Northeast
The Atlantic Northeast, or Arcadia, is a region of North America, comprising New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. Definitions of the region vary; it may extend to upstate New York and/or all of Atlantic Canada....
and Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
has many different events (30 in 2011) in which high school crews compete for various cups and trophies. Events vary by sex, age, weight category, number of rowers, and style of rowing (whether sweeping with one oar per rower or sculling with two oars per rower). The regatta takes its name from the main event, the Men's Senior Eight race, in which crews of eight oarsmen and one coxswain
Coxswain
The coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...
compete for the Stotesbury Cup. The Stotesbury Cup in turn is named for Edward T. Stotesbury
Edward T. Stotesbury
Edward Townsend "Ned" Stotesbury was a prominent investment banker, a partner in Drexel & Co. and its New York affiliate J. P. Morgan & Co. for over fifty-five years....
of Philadelphia, a prominent partner at J.P. Morgan & Co. and its Philadelphia affiliate, Drexel & Co. The Women's Senior Eights compete for the Robert Engman
Robert Engman
Robert Engman is an American sculptor with a number of works in the Hirshhorn Museum, and elsewhere in the U.S.-Life:...
Trophy. The regatta has been running men's races since 1927; women's events were added in the mid 1970s. Powerhouse schools in men's events include E.L. Crossley Secondary School
E.L. Crossley Secondary School
E.L. Crossley Secondary School is located in Fonthill, Ontario, Canada. Founded September 3, 1963, the school offers all core subjects of study, many electives and co-op programs. The majority of its students come from surrounding areas with both students from suburban Fonthill, and rural townships...
, Holy Spirit, St. Joseph's Prep, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is a Virginia state-chartered magnet school located within Fairfax County, Virginia, United States...
, Winter Park
Winter Park High School
Winter Park High School located in Winter Park, Florida is one of seventeen public high schools in Orange County. Winter Park High School is a magnet school for the International Baccalaureate program.-History:...
, Bishop Eustace Preparatory School
Bishop Eustace Preparatory School
Bishop Eustace Preparatory School is a coeducational private high school in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, which was founded in 1954 by the priests and brothers of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate . The school was named after Bishop Bartholomew J...
, Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...
, and Roman Catholic High School for Boys. Meanwhile, in women's events, Mount Saint Joeseph Academy
Mount Saint Joseph Academy (Flourtown, Pennsylvania)
Mount Saint Joseph Academy, commonly called The Mount, in Flourtown, Pennsylvania is a Philadelphia-area all-female, catholic, college preparatory school. It was founded in 1858 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The academy was originally located in Philadelphia on the grounds of what is now...
has emerged in recent years with strong showings in the Lightweight Eight and Senior Eight categories, though Bishop Eustace has taken the Senior Eight for the last three years (2007-2009).
The Racecourse
The Stotesbury racecourse is the standard high school length of 1500 meters. It begins a few hundred meters upstream from the Strawberry Mansion Bridge and finishes downstream just before the Columbia Railroad Bridge (see a map of the racecourse). It is a six-lane course, and as in most races the favored crews are positioned in the middle lanes. The river current is strongest in the final four hundred meters of the race as crews pass Peters Island on the west side of the course. Lane 6, closest to Peters Island, generally has the slowest water current, making it the least desirable lane in this downstream racecourse.
Organization
Stotesbury's unique racing format does not have heats, 6 boats across racing in the normal sprint fashion, as the opening event. instead, each event goes in a time trial format, similar to a head race, but only covering 1500 meters. The starting order is based on the finish order from the previous year's regatta. The fastest crews in each time trial advance to the semi-final round. Semi-finals begin later on the first day and continue on the second day. Finals begin in the afternoon of the second day. Events are ordered so that small boats race before the larger ones, and the regatta culminates in either the Men's or Women's Senior Eight final race, alternating every year. After each final is finished, the best three boats dock at the grandstandGrandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
s next to the finish line to receive their medals.
The Stotesbury Cup Regatta continues to grow in its size and level of competition as high school rowing gains popularity. In 2000, about 3,500 athletes competed in the regatta. In 2010, 5,500 athletes from 194 schools competed in 933 boats to make it the largest Stotesbury yet. As the sport continues to grow, this trend will likely persist as more and more rowers carry on the Stotesbury tradition.
External links
- Stotesbury Cup Regatta Official Site The winner of every Stotesbury Cup Regatta race since the first race in 1927 is listed here.
- Philadelphia Inquirer article about history May 8, 2009 about Stotesbury