2009 Florida Masters Regatta Corporate Challenge Program

 How Rowing Can Benefit Your Company

Providing an experience unique to Orlando, ORC offers energetic rowing sessions on Lake Fairview, Orlando’s local ‘boathouse row’. Participation in this program is a great way to provide a day of fun, bring your employees together, and promote true teamwork.

The discipline of rowing has direct applications for your team outside of the shell. In a boat, all crew members must pull together to achieve the boat’s greatest speed. Rowers must learn to communicate effectively and efficiently from the moment the first command “hands on” is given. Rowers must trust each other fully as they follow one another and rely on the coxswain’s voice to guide them in perfect unison. This exercise in trust, cooperation and achievement has genuine impact long after the boat is off the water.

This year’s Florida Masters Regatta will take place May 16th, at Lake Fairview in Orlando. Proceeds from select races will benefit the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Corporate crews will have four weeks to prepare for the Corporate Challenge Race, a 500 meter sprint.

Program Description

Your organization can sponsor one or more boats of eight (8) people for $1,500 per boat.  $500 of your entry fee will be donated to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center though our partnership with Women Playing for TIME.  Each entry includes a four-week training and team building for your crew to prepare for the challenge.  Organizations may enter as many boats as they would like.

Schedule

Teams will meet 2 weeknights per week (days to be announced) from 6:00pm to 8:00pm to prepare for the regatta. The official start date is April 6th, 2009.

Please contact our Head Coach, Laura Riekki, to set up an appointment, or to discuss scheduling options. lriekki@gmail.com, or 407-342-5353.

FAQs

Team Waiver Forms: Each individual participant must fill out both waiver forms found on our website and bring full funds on the day of the program.

Additional Fees may include the following at the discretion of your organization: Custom team shirt, motivational speakers, corporate tent,

Rowing Attire: Rowing attire should be soft, stretchy, breathable, and fairly form fitting. Loose, long shorts and T-shirts can get caught in the slides under the moving seats, so avoid basketball style shorts or warm-ups. Loose tops can get caught in the oar handles, so avoid bulky jackets or sweatshirts.

Shoes: An old pair of sneakers is best. You will use sneakers on the indoor rowing machines and will be barefoot while walking the boat to the lake. Tuck a pair of socks in your rowing shorts, so that you will be able to use them in the shoes that are mounted in the boat.

Participation after the Program: After the regatta, all participants will have the opportunity to continue with the Orlando Rowing Club as novice members.

About the Orlando Rowing Club

ORC started from a concept in 1968 where local high school and college rowers could join together in the summer to focus on local regattas, national championships, Canadian Nationals and Olympic Trials. Dennis Kamrad helped build the original boathouse in 1968, and the program launched in '72. Early participants were Winter Park, Edgewater and UCF, and called themselves Florida Athletic Club, with multiple levels and coaches. FAC won the Olympic Sports Festival, Canadian Henley, Miami International, multiple Head of the Charles medals, international races in Mexico and England as well as representation in the Olympic Trials.

Our current boathouse and location is dedicated to the memory of the late Charles Kenneth Corkery, who sadly passed away just before he completed it. Ken was a great friend to rowing who was active in the sport as a competitor, coach and national referee of USRowing.

The Orlando Rowing Club is now a masters club, though we still do a summer rowing program for students 18 and up, in addition to numerous community programs and learn to row days to make rowing accessible to all of Central Florida.