Sarasota Invitational named 'Nationally Recognized Regatta'

The sixth annual Sarasota Invitational Regatta, which will be held at Nathan Benderson Park from Feb. 28 to March 1, is one of a select number of regattas in the United States to receive this designation.

To be named a Nationally Recognized Regatta, the regatta must have demonstrated "a high standard of competition, excellent facilities, an experienced group of referees that ensure that racing is both safe and fair for all competittors, and operational competence on the part of the Local Organizing Committee," regatta co-director Norm Thetford said in a news release.

"Only a handful, typically five to eight, of regattas are so designated in any given region, so it is a real honor to get this designation after having been in operation for only five years," he said.

The Sarasota Invitational Regatta, which is the first major regatta of the season, allows coaches to see how their crews compare with the other teams. Some of the teams at this year's regatta will come from outside of Florida, including Texas and Seattle.

Event organizers are expecting to have 1,500 rowers competing in the 60 events at Regatta Island at Nathan Benderson Park.

Claire Aronson, University Parkway/Sarasota reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024 or at caronson@bradenton.com. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published December 18, 2014 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Sarasota Invitational named 'Nationally Recognized Regatta' ."