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This article is about the sport of boat racing, for the outdoor clothing brand see Regatta (clothing brand)

A regatta is a term used to describe either a boat race, or series of boat races. Although the term typically describes racing events of unpowered watercraft, some powerboat race series are also called regattas. Most commonly, a regatta is either a series of rowing, sailing or yacht racing. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround the racing event, and except in the case of boat type (or "class") championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place.

A view from the Race Committee boat at the start of Vanderbilt Sailing Club's annual SAISA regatta in 2005.

Although regattas are typically amateur competitions, they are usually very highly organized, formally structured events, with complex rules precisely describing the schedule and procedures of the event. Regattas may be organized as championships for a particular area or type of boat, but are often held just for the joy of competition, camaraderie, and general promotion of the sport. Regattas may be hosted by a Yacht club, sailing association, town or school as in the case of Interscholastic Sailing Association (high school) regattas or Intercollegiate Sailing Association (college) regattas.

One of the largest and most popular regattas is the Henley Royal Regatta held on the River Thames, England. The oldest running regatta in the world is Cowes Week, which is held annually by the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England and usually attracts over 900 sailboats. North America's oldest regatta is the Royal St. John's Regatta held on Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John's, Newfoundland every year since 1826. Additional examples of regattas are listed below.

• Henley Royal Regatta, held every year on the river Thames is the most prestigious British event
• The Boat Race is a rowing race between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club. It is rowed annually each Spring on the Thames in London.
• Regattas on the River Thames lists all Thames rowing regattas and other rowing events
• Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta, held annually at the end of August on the River Dart.
• Dad Vail Regatta, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Head of the Charles Regatta, on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Marathon Rowing Championship a continuous 26.2-mile rowing regatta on Cane River Lake ending in Natchitoches, Louisiana

• America's Cup, hosted by prior winner
• Balmain Regatta held annually on Sydney Harbour, Australia
• Bass Week, Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria
• Bay Week, Put-in-Bay, Ohio
• Block Island Race Week, Rhode Island
• Canada's Cup, held periodically on the Great Lakes.
• CORK Regatta, Kingston, Ontario, annually in August.
• Cowes Week, Royal Yacht Squadron, England
• Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta, held annually at the end of August over three days on the River Dart.
• Fowey Royal Regatta, Fowey Cornwall annually in August[1]
• Kamer 2 Sailing Marathon, Kaag, Netherlands, annually in September
• Key West Race Week, Key West, Florida
• Larchmont Race Week, Larchmont Yacht Club, New York
• Long Beach Race Week, Long Beach, California
• National Offshore One Design (NOOD)
• Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race, Mighigan
• Round Texel, Texel, Netherlands, annually in June
• Lysekil Women's Match, Lysekil, Sweden, annually in August
• Tjörn Runt, Tjörn, Sweden, annually in August
• Washington's Birthday Regatta, Coconut Grove, Florida, annually in February
• Youngstown Levels, Youngstown, New York
• Figawi Race, Hyannis, MA

• Charleston Open, College of Charleston
• Kennedy Cup, US Naval Academy
• The Roth Regatta, Roth Pond, State University of New York at Stony Brook
• Intercollegiate Sailing Association National Championships, various locations

• Mallory Cup, United States high school sailing national championships.
• The National School Sailing Association Regatta, UK. Annual Sailing reggatta held in various sailing clubs and competed in by many secondary school students.

• The Madison Regatta, Madison, Indiana. (hydroplanes)
• Kingston Multi-Hull Regatta, Kingston, Ontario (multihull sailboats and sailing hydrofoils)
• Henley-on-Todd Regatta - an Australian dry-land event.
• Royal Hobart Regatta - A Multiple event 3 day Reggatta in Tasmania, Australia.
• Sy Barash Regatta - discontinued event at Penn State
• Worrell 1000, between South Beach and Virginia Beach, Virginia
• For the Cruise Ship Regatta see Oceania Cruises

• International Sailing Federation, the international governing body of sailboat racing
• US Sailing's official homepage

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