Welcome to San Diego Crew Classic

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Behind the birth of the San Diego Crew Classic® in 1973 were two century old rowing clubs: The San Diego Rowing Club, founded in 1888, and the women’s ZLAC Rowing Club, founded in 1892. Several generations of old San Diego families were members of the clubs and from them came Crew Classic® founders Patty Wyatt, Joe Jessop, Andy Borthwick, Del Beekley, and others like them. They had the vision and the initiative.

The University of Washington and the Naval Academy had developed a great rivalry and, when they were approached with the idea of coming to San Diego for a West Coast regatta, they enthusiastically agreed.

The first Crew Classic regatta featured 300 competitors in 12 races and a budget of $10,000. The twenty-sixth Crew Classic® featured over 3,000 competitors in 87 races with a budget of $300,000.

The San Diego Crew Classic® has become internationally recognized as one of the finest regattas in the world.

For more of the history of how the San Diego Crew Classic came to be click here.