Fall 2024
No Experience is necessary. Once athletes hit the water, coaches will work on the fundamentals to create boats in various categories which possess the best possible chance for success.
Ages
Rowers are typically in 8th through the 12th grade. No experience is necessary!
When
Monday, August 26th through mid November.
Where
Practice is at the WYRA Boathouse, 500 E. Front St, Wilm, DE 19801. WYRA competes regionally and nationally but most of our regattas are in DE, PA and NJ.
Practices
Varsity, Tuesday through Friday 3:45 PM - 6 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM - 11AM.
Novice practice Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 3:45 PM - 6 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM - 11 AM.
Regattas
The fall schedule will be posted in late July.
Uniform
WYRA will provide t-shirts to all Novice rowers, but Varsity and JV rowers will need to purchase a uni to race in.
COSTS
The standard cost of Varsity/JV rowers is $1950 and $1495 for Novices (beginners).
WYRA Offers an Early Bird Special discount of $200 for V/JV and $500 for Novices if registered by Aug 26th.
WYRA offers Financial Aid Scholarships.
EXTRA COSTS
All Varsity and JV rowers will need to purchase a WYRA racing uni, unless they already have one. Unis cost approximately $95 but only need to be purchased once.
Scholarship Information
If you are concerned about the cost of joining WYRA, we do offer scholarships for those that require it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does WYRA race?
WYRA crews have competed all over the US, though most of the racing is in DE, MD, PA and NJ though some championships or national regattas can be held anywhere in the US. We have competed in the Henley Regatta in London, the Jr. Nationals and for over 20 years, we have proudly gotten crews in the Head of the Charles in Boston.
Do I have to join for the whole year or can I choose my seasons?
You can row in whichever season works for you. Though most kids row in at least two seasons, we have lots that have other sports they’ve already committed to and therefore only join WYRA for one season a year.
Who can race with WYRA?
Anyone between the ages of 12 and 18 can row for WYRA, but we do not take seniors as novice rowers. We are a co-ed composite program with students from public, private, parochial and home schools. There are no “bench warmers” in WYRA, everyone gets to row and compete. NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY!
Does everyone compete in every regatta?
The answer is mostly yes. Most regattas WYRA participates in are general regattas that accept novices through varsity, both boys and girls, though sometimes we’ll take crews to more specific regattas, such as the Junior Nationals, where crews have to qualify in order to compete. These types of races, however, are usually after the main season has ended. WYRA never ‘cuts’ kids. Anyone who joins will practice with the team and race with the team. We do organize boats so everyone in the boat will be at the same approximate skill level, making that boat as competitive as possible.
Fall 2024 Season
This program is for youth ages 12 - 19. No Experience is necessary.
The Fall Season runs from the end of August through mid-November where racing is comprised of 4000-5000 meter “head” races in which crews race against the clock. WYRA hosts the first race of the season, “The Head of the Christina Regatta”, at its boathouse in Wilmington. As these races are longer in length, the team focuses not only on technique, but also on establishing a strong base level of fitness and creating a desire to compete against some of the nation’s elite-level rowing programs.