Regatta Information & Parking

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  The Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA) organizes our Occoquan Regattas (home) at Sandy Run Regional Park,

10450 Van Thompson Road Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039.
 
Sandy Run Regional Park (Occoquan) is a beautiful location for a regatta. All parents, family & friends are encouraged to attend to watch & cheer on their rowers in action with plenty of viewing room along the Occoquan Reservoir. Please refer to the VASRA website (VASRA.org) for the most up to date information.
 
Regatta 101:
Everything you want to know about Regattas such as:
– Introduction
– Money
– How to Dress
– What to Bring/What Not to Bring
– Race Info (Scheduling/Results)
– Where to Watch
– Potential Problems

can be found on the VASRA website – https://www.vasra.org/regattas/regatta-101

Parking:There is no on-site visitor parking at Sandy Run Regional Park.  All spectator parking is at South County High School. There are some regattas this year where the South County Parking lot will not be available. Parking for those will be at the commuter parking lot at Old Bridge Road and Rt. 123. There is a shuttle bus from the parking location to Sandy Run that will cost $15 per person round trip. Off-site shuttles will begin running at 7:30 am and will continue for approximately 1 hour after the regatta.

The shuttle bus ride takes about 15 min, but you must wait for the shuttle and one you arrive in the park there is a 10-15 min walk to the Finish Line/Grandstands. There is a shuttle you can take from where you are dropped off in Lot C to the Finish Line for $5/pp each way. Please plan for additional travel time, both from the offsite parking and within the park. The venue is a superb rowing location, but not user friendly for large crowds. 

For detailed parking information go to – https://www.vasra.org/regattas/parking

Volunteer Parking:
For those volunteering for FP Crew or for VASRA on behalf of FP Crew, Don Green, Director of
Operations, will be reaching out to you the week leading up to the regatta to let you know
where you can park and when you should arrive. For any questions with volunteering, please
contact Don at operations@fpcrew.org

Grandstand Area: 
The grandstands are partially exposed, so wear rain gear if rain is predicted, bring extra clothing
layers for when the wind picks up, and bring sunscreen and sunglasses in any event.  There are
bathrooms near the viewing area and places to set up folding chairs. Binoculars are also a good idea as well as reading materials or hobbies to occupy yourself between events.  NO PETS & NO ALCOHOL will be permitted.  The concession area by the grandstand typically have grilled foods, snacks and drinks for purchase (CASH HIGHLY RECOMMENDED/NOT SET UP FOR CREDIT CARDS) and money is used towards the operation of VASRA regattas.

* The Point (where our rowers/tents will be set up) is ONLY for coaches and rowers.

Heat Sheets:  A schedule of the races is available a day or two before the regatta on www.vasra.org.  You can print the heat sheets out before the event or access them on your phone on the day of the regatta. Please note the internet connection is quite poor at the venue.

Regatta Results:
The schedule is a live google sheet and will change (even during the regatta).  The “Schedule”
becomes the “Results” sheet (same link) on Saturday (the name of the link will include “Live
Results” when results start to get posted).

Regattas at Sandy Run FAQ’s

Can I park anywhere when I come to a regatta?  Please follow the parking directions that are stated above.  Police are on site for the regatta.

How do I get to the grandstands?  There is a trail that can be walked from the C lot. The trail follows the contour of the land and has hills. When you come to a “T” in the path you will go left to the grandstands (about .6 miles) and if you go right that will take you to the lower boathouses (about .4 miles). DO NOT WALK ON THE ROAD TO THE GRANDSTANDS!  There is also a shuttle van that runs to the grandstand from C lot, provided by the regatta sponsor. There is a $5.00 fee (per person) each way to ride the shuttles. The money collected helps off set the rental and gas of the vans.

Why can’t we drive to the grandstands? There is no parking there. The one lane road to the grandstands is just for the two vans that go back and forth and is unsafe for any other vehicles to be on. DO NOT WALK ON THE ROAD TO THE GRANDSTANDS! THE ROAD IS SOLELY FOR THE SHUTTLE VANS AND IS UNSAFE TO HAVE PEDESTRIANS ON IT AS WELL!

Why are pets banned from the park on regatta days?  Pets have been banned because of dog fights, bites, dog defecation and tripping rowers as they carry expensive shells.

Is food sold at regattas?  The regatta sponsors typically provide grilled foods, snacks and drinks as a fundraiser. Bring Cash.