Long Island Rowing
Rowing became popular as a speed sport when boat racing was first introduced at Venetian festivals (regatta) in the 13th Century. These days many of the Long Island rowing crews, clubs and associations are comprised of co-ed high school and college teams’ competitions at various regattas on Long Island, NewYork.
Unified Huntington Area Regatta Better serves all Long Island Sound Sailors - Masthead Cove Yacht Club – 03/6/2006
Four Huntington, N.Y. - area yacht clubs have joined forces to consolidate their racing programs into the Target Rock Regatta, a series of spring and fall sailboat races to be held in Huntington Bay and western Long Island Sound.
Huntington Yacht Club, Lloyd Harbor Yacht Club, Masthead Cove Yacht Club and Northport Yacht Club have joined together to enhance the racing experience for their members and all Long Island Sound sailors. The Target Rock series now is a qualifying event for Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound trophies.
David Strickler, Masthead Cove’s racing fleet captain, explains that this unified regatta offers greater opportunities for racers throughout the Connecticut-Long Island region by featuring more boats at the starting line, higher-levels of competition and greater organization.
“To encourage beginning racers to participate, we’re adding a novice division to the traditional racing categories,” Strickler notes. “That should help eliminate the intimidation factor for sailors new to the sport.”
The spring regatta will be held on May 21 and June 25, starting near Target Rock in Huntington Bay; fall dates are Sept. 24 and Oct. 8. Two races will be held on each date. Following the conclusion of the spring and fall series, an awards ceremony and party will be held at Huntington Yacht Club for all regatta participants.
For more information, please contact: (631) 367-6268
Canoeing
A canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. Canoes usually are pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be covered.
In its human-powered form, the canoe is propelled by the use of paddles, with the number of paddlers depending on the size of the canoe (most commonly two). Paddlers face in the direction of travel, either seated on supports in the hull, or kneeling directly upon the hull. In this way paddling a canoe can be contrasted with rowing, where the rowers face away from the direction of travel. Paddles may be single-bladed or double-bladed.
Canoeing is the activity of paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation, sport, or transportation. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power. A kayak is propelled using a paddle with two blades where the paddler sits with their legs in front of them, whereas canoes are propelled using single - or double - bladed paddles where the paddlers are kneeling or sitting on a raised seat. Kayaks are usually closed - decked boats with a spray deck, while canoes are usually open boats. There are also open kayaks and closed canoes. Internationally, the term canoeing is used as a generic term for both forms though the terms "paddle sports" or "canoe/kayak" are also used. In North America, however, 'canoeing' usually refers only to canoes, as opposed to both canoes and kayaks. Paddling a kayak is also referred to as kayaking.
Open canoes may be 'poled' (punted), sailed, 'lined and tracked' (using ropes) or even 'gunnel-bobbed'. In modern canoe sport, both canoes and kayaks may be closed - decked. Other than by the minimum competition specifications (typically length and width (beam)) and seating arrangement it is difficult to differentiate most competition canoes from the equivalent competition kayaks. The most common difference is that competition kayaks are always seated, and competition canoes are generally kneeling. Exceptions include Canoe Marathon (in both European and American competitive forms) and sprint (high kneeling position). The most traditional and early canoes did not have seats; the paddlers merely kneeled on the bottom of the boat. Recreational or 'Canadian' canoes employ seats and whitewater rodeo and surf variants increasingly employ the use of 'saddles' to give greater boat control under extreme conditions.
Some Long Island locations perfect for canoeing are listed below:
| ALEWIVE POND Rentals Cedar Point |
BELLOWS POND Sears Bellows Rentals Hampton Bays (631) 852-8290 |
BELMONT LAKE Rentals Belmont Park North Babylon |
| CARMEN'S RIVER Rentals Southaven (631) 286-1966 |
STUMP POND Blyndenburgh Rentals Smithtown |
Call Parks at (631) 854-4949 for more information.