Championships and Trophies Awarded at the Dad Vail Regatta

The Dad Vail Regatta awards seven team championship titles across three disciplines—sweep rowing, small boats, and sculling—for both men's and women's programs, plus one combined trophy. According to the regatta's official site, the awards are structured to recognize "excellence across all boat classes," including programs that compete exclusively in small boats and sculling events. The 2027 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is scheduled for May 7–8 on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

The Full List of Championship Trophies

How the Award Structure Works

Sweep vs. small boats vs. sculling

The regatta separates competition into three distinct categories rather than crowning a single champion:

• Sweep rowing — boats where each rower handles one oar. The Men's and Women's Overall Championships are decided here.
• Small boats — smaller crew configurations. These carry their own "National … Overall Championship" titles, so a program that races only small boats can still win a national-level Dad Vail title.
• Sculling — each rower uses two oars. Separate men's and women's National Overall Sculling Championships are awarded.

This matters for teams deciding what to enter: a small-boat or sculling specialist is not shut out of championship recognition just because it doesn't field large sweep eights.

The combined trophy

The Combined Men's and Women's Overall Championship sits above the gender-specific sweep titles. It rewards the program with the deepest overall performance across both men's and women's sweep entries—useful context when comparing a large, broad-based program against a smaller one that excels in a single category.

What This Means If You're Following or Entering

• If you're a coach planning entries: check which category your boats fall into before the season, since the title you can realistically contest depends on it. A sculling-focused program should target the sculling championships rather than the sweep overall.
• If you're a spectator or alum tracking results: the seven trophies mean "who won Dad Vail" has more than one answer. Look at the specific category before comparing programs.
• If you're researching the regatta's history: the multi-category structure reflects the event's stated aim of celebrating "the depth and diversity of collegiate rowing," including programs of all sizes.

Practical Details

The official site lists schedule and heat sheets, livestream, race results, and volunteer sign-up as the main resources during race weekend. Boat entry registration timing is announced separately from the regatta dates—the site's registration notices have historically referenced spring opening windows, so check the registration page directly rather than assuming entry deadlines match the May race dates.