Virtual Coaches & Coxswains meeting to be held Thursday July 10, 6-6:45pm via Zoom. Please see News tab for zoom meeting link.

For schedule updates and alerts, please join our Sprints Whatsapp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/D6eG54lX3LTKitGJV2V4xO?mode=r_c

Lincoln Park Boat Club is pleased to invite you to participate in the 45th Annual Chicago Sprints!

Since its inception in 1910, Lincoln Park Boat Club has hosted competitive rowing regattas at its Lincoln Park Boat House and for the last 45 years, those competitions have centered on the annual Chicago Sprints Regatta. The Chicago Sprints is one of the largest competitive regattas in the region, drawing junior, collegiate and masters programs from throughout the Midwest. The Chicago Sprints continues to be the largest sprint-season regatta in the Midwest, and among the top five largest non-collegiate sprint regattas in the Nation. It is attended by hundreds of casual and dedicated spectators who line the 1000 meter course situated between Lake Shore Drive and the Lincoln Park Zoo. The Chicago Sprints features 1000 meter, side-by-side, Henley style racing and that makes for some great competition.

Total Entries Cap - The maximum number of entries that will be accepted for the Chicago Sprints is capped for each event. Registration for each event will be wait listed once that cap has been reached.

Maximum Events per Rower - The maximum number of events for any individual rower is 4. Coxswains may participate in more than 4 events. PC2x is excluded from the cap.

Clubs - Should be USRowing member organizations. Single scullers do not need to be part of a club.

Juniors - A Junior is a competitor who in the current calendar year does not attain the age of 19, or who is and has been continuously enrolled in secondary school as a full-time student seeking a diploma. A competitor thus ceases to be a Youth after December 31 of the year of his or her 18th birthday, or of the year in which he or she completes the 12th grade of secondary school, having been a full-time student, whichever is later.

Novices - Persons in their first year of rowing.  Individuals who took a rowing class is a previous year but who did not race at more than one regatta or row regularly for more than 2 months in that year may also be considered novices.

Masters - Single Scullers must be 27 years of age or older as of 12/31/2025. Minimum age for any rower in a Masters entry other than a single sculling boat is 21 as of 12/31/2025, but the boat average age must be 27 or over. Per US Rowing Master's guidelines, a masters crew shall be comprised exclusively of masters rowers, but the coxswain need not be a master. Handicaps will be applied for boats with average age of 27 or over per USRowing rules. Where not divided into single age categories, masters races will be handicapped based on USRowing time charts. You must provide dates of birth for your athletes as required by the registration system to ensure eligibility and appropriate handicap.

Masters Events with a large number or entries may be split into multiple events once the entry deadline closes. For example, The Masters Women's 4+ may be run as Masters Women A-D 4+ and Masters Women E+ 4+. 

Lightweights - Men's max weight is 160 lbs. Women's max weight 130 lbs. No crew averages. Lightweights must weigh in before racing. Weigh ins are at the registration tent. Lightweights may weigh in individually, lightweights are not required to weigh in as a lineup for team boats.

Weigh Ins - Prior to weighing in, lightweights must know what race(s) they are registered for in order to match entries. Competitors shall be weighed in racing uniform without shoes or other footgear.

Weigh In schedule: Friday 2-5pm, Saturday is 8am-12pm, and Sunday is 8-10am.

Coxswains – Coxswains do not need to weigh in before racing.

Progression - In events with 2-8 entries, the two boats with the fastest times from the heats progress to the final (no semis). In events with 9+ entries, the boats with the four fastest times progress to the semis. The winners of the semis progress to the final. 

Hotseats - The Dockmaster will make reasonable attempts to accommodate hotseating in races with four or more races between them. Please give notice to the Dockmaster when leaving the dock that your boat requires hotseat access after its race. The Dockmaster has final say on all hotseating decisions.

Late, Scratch and Change Fees - Entries may be scratched without penalty until the entry deadline

After the entry deadline, no refunds will be given for entries that are scratched. 

Other Rules - The Regatta Committee reserves the right to cancel any event that has received fewer than 2 entries. Additionally, the Regatta Committee reserves the right to restrict the number of boats entered by any club in any one event to allow for broader participation. Please note that under no circumstances will last minute race day entry additions be added to the schedule. An exception may be made at the discretion of the Regatta Director for Mixed 8 entries only, a finals-only event held at the end of the regatta. 

Points trophies - the following trophies are awarded: Overall Team Points Trophy; Kuperman Cup (Sculling events); Junior Team Trophy (Junior events). Points are awarded in a modified version of the "Barnes" system, and vary by hull size and medal color as follows: