Potomac Regattas

For our “home” regattas, such as the Charlie Butt Regatta and those hosted by Thompson Boat Club (TBC), W-L Boosters will set up along the banks of Washington Harbor in Georgetown to watch the race. Other participating high school crew teams will have their tents along Washington Harbor toward TBC.

Schedules

These regattas typically occur between 8:00AM to 12:00PM. Coaches will tell rowers what time to report to Columbia Island Marina (CIM) (typically at least two hours before their race time). The final race schedules should be emailed out the Thursday or Friday before race day.

Transportation

There is NO TRANSPORTATION TO COLUMBIA ISLAND FROM W-L. It is a good idea to plan ahead and see if you can arrange a carpool to take your rower(s) down to the marina. 

Parking

Due to the large number of schools participating in these regattas, there will be a lot of spectators attending and watching along Washington Harbor in Georgetown. Plan ahead for parking.

There are several public garages on Water Street. More information on parking in Georgetown can be found here. You can also reserve public parking through the SpotHero app.

Some people park in Rosslyn and walk across Key Bridge (about 20 minutes).

You can also consider using the trail that runs along Langston Blvd to the Key Bridge to bike, jog, or walk to the event.

Lastly, consider just taking Uber or Lyft.

Charlie Butt Regatta & Annual Picnic

The Charlie Butt Regatta is a Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA) Regatta held annually on the Potomac in honor of legendary coach Charlie Butt. Charlie was the founder of Washington-Lee High School’s Crew program in 1949, coached our crew team for 41 years, and helped to organize many of the rowing programs in our area. This is our signature regatta of the season, so we hope parents and families can attend and participate. 

Following the day’s racing at the Charlie Butt, the Boosters host families, athletes, and alumni at Columbia Island Marina for our annual picnic and open house. (Look for details soon in The Crew’s News!)