ROWING EVENTS

REGATTAS

Madras Boat Club holds Regattas at regular intervals to give our rowers in different categories an opportunity to compete and progress to the next level. The three primary Rowing categories at the Club, based on ability are Maiden, Junior, and Senior. Each category has a set of Boats assigned to it. An oarsperson progresses from one category to another based on his performance at the Club Regatta. Traditionally, the winners and runners up at a Regatta are promoted to the next level.

Traditionally three Regattas were held annually, where oarspersons compete for Trophy and Non- Trophy events in each Rowing category. The three regattas are as following:

Maiden / Hot Weather Regatta – Between June / July
Junior Regatta – Between September / October
Senior / Cold Weather Regatta – Between December / January

However, with changing structure of boats, membership trends, and educational curriculum, an average of two to three intra-club regattas are held annually in a mixed format.

The best rowers from MBC get to represent the Club at the annual inter club events.

ANNUAL INTRA CLUB REGATTAS

ARAE (Amateur Rowing Association of the East) / FEARA (Far Eastern Amateur Rowing Association) Regatta

A history tracing to the British, the Amateur Rowing Association of the East was formed in the year 1933 when premier rowing clubs in the eastern hemisphere got together to promote competitive rowing amongst themselves. The founder members of the ARAE are The Bombay Gymkhana Club, Calcutta Rowing Club, Karachi Boat Club, Madras Boat Club, Rangoon Boat Club, and Royal Connaught Boat Club. The ARAE today consists of 17 affiliated clubs spread across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and The Philippines. A competition is organized by the ARAE every year, with a different club playing host. Rowers compete for prestigious rolling trophies, which include the Hoogly Trophy for the men’s overall championship and Adyar Trophy for the women.

The last ARAE was hosted by MBC in January 2025.

Madras and Colombo have had this Annual Regatta between them since 1898. Barring breaks during the wars, this event has been held regularly, with the last Regatta hosted by CRC in June 2016, being the 77th. Rowers from both clubs look forward to competing in this prestigious event. The Men’s fours event in Madras-Colombo is the second oldest inter-club Boat Race in the world after the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race. Madras and Colombo take turns in hosting the Regatta. Events are held for both men and women, with separate overall trophies for both. Winners of the Men’s overall receive the Deepam Trophy, while the Adyar Trophy is awarded to the women. This event has been held regularly, with the last Regatta hosted by MBC in July 2025, being the 84th.

This is an annual event between Madras Boat Club and Calcutta Rowing Club, the two oldest rowing clubs in India. The regatta originally had only men’s open events but has been expanded to include women, juniors, sub juniors, and under 13. The two clubs take turns in hosting this event. CRC is hosting this event this year in Calcutta on 30th August 2025.

OTHER REGATTAS

MBC Rowers have been competing at the National level since the inception of the National Rowing Championships in 1977. Rowers from MBC are selected in conjunction with the state rowing body namely Tamil Nadu Amateur Rowing Association (TARA) to represent Tamil Nadu at National events, conducted by the Rowing Federation of India (RFI).

The following are the National Regattas that rowers from MBC get to compete in: