Stotesbury Regatta: Cancelled but Relevant as Ever
In the very beginning, the swimmer wasn’t just in search of great exercise.
He was also a man of great intellect.
Like Native American tribes, who called the area around the Schuylkill River home for thousands of years before European settlers carved out modern-day cities, they used the river for both sustenance and leisure.
Philadelphia made history on the water once again this year when the 98th annual Stotesbury Regatta was cancelled.
For the third year in a row, the Dad Vail Regatta, which is America’s most historic collegiate rowing competition, has moved from the Schuylkill River to the Cooper River.
Wherever the annual Dad Vail Regatta is held, however, crowds of people are certain to follow. This weekend is no different.
PHOTO: The Stotesbury Cup Regatta/Facebook
Celebrating its 86th year, the Dad Vail Regatta has been hosted on the Schuylkill River since 1953. Started in 1934, the annual competition was named after Harry Emerson “Dad” Vail and the Dad Vail Rowing Association, which formalized the competition in 1939 when it was formed. Aberdeen Asset Management sponsored the Dad Vail Regatta for five years, Sunoco for two years, and Thomas Jefferson University since 2019.
Next weekend, America’s oldest collegiate race on the water will be succeeded by the oldest high school rowing race anywhere in the United States. And this race on the river — unlike the Dad Vail Regatta before it each year — remains on the Schuylkill River.
The annual Stotesbury Cup Regatta, sponsored by the Schuylkill Navy, began as a Cup Race and is named after the renowned Philadelphian and former partner of J.P. Morgan Chase, Edward T. Stotesbury. The race has been running competition for boys since 1927 and began competition for girls just over 50 years ago, in 1974.
The Stotesbury Regatta is attended annually by over fifteen high school rowing programs, including LaSalle College High School, St. Joseph’s Prep, and Roman Catholic High School. The 1500-meter course, which begins not far from the Strawberry Mansion section of the city and concludes just short of the Columbia Railroad Bridge, has seen Joseph’s Prep win more in the 8+ category than any other school, including last year’s competition.
Time in the water would be part of the swimmer for the rest of his life. While living in the shadow of the Schuylkill later in life, he would frequently win on the River. During cross-Atlantic trips, he would even alarm other travelers by randomly diving off the ship to swim in the ocean.
In case you haven’t already guessed who that swimmer was who loved the Schuylkill River, it was none other than our own Benjamin Franklin.
PHOTO: The Stotesbury Cup Regatta/Facebook
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