Hobbs Island Regatta this weekend | Community Spirit

The Tennessee River will be filled with rowers this weekend.

The 15th annual Hobbs Island Regatta is Saturday, October 20th from 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. It's the only head race head in Alabama every year. More than 150 teams from 15 different collegiate, junior and adult rowing clubs will be attending.

The event headquarters is at 1000 Hobbs Island Road, at the Madison County Community Boathouse.

The host club for the Hobbs Island regatta is Rocket City Rowing Club which will have both junior and adult boats racing. Collegiate teams preparing to come include: Alabama Crew, Auburn University Crew, LSU Rowing, Murray State University Crew, Samford Crew, Sewanee Crew/University of the South, Texas A&M University at Galveston, University of Georgia Rowing Crew, UAHuntsville Rowing, and Vanderbilt University Crew.

Junior clubs traveling to Hobbs Island include: Chattanooga Rowing, Louisville Rowing Club, and Montgomery Bell Academy. An additional adult club competing is Knoxville Rowing Association.

Hobbs Island regatta chair June Buff indicated, "With teams coming from 13 cities in 6 states - this will be the 2nd largest regatta to be held at this venue. We are preparing the race course this week and are looking forward to excellent North Alabama fall weather for Saturday with expected high temperature to be in mid-70's and sunny."

Buff continued, "With easy highway access to the venue from surrounding states, a protected race course, a top-notch race committee and referees, and perfect racing weather most years- we are pleased that so many collegiate and junior teams continue to choose to compete at the Hobbs Island Regatta. We also anticipate a lot of rowing fans from around the region to join us to cheer on their favorite teams."

The 4500 meter Hobbs Island head race is held on a side channel of the Tennessee River. Hobbs Island is an undeveloped island that separates the majority of the course from the main channel of the Tennessee River and shelters the side channel waters from wind, waves, barges, and other river boat traffic. The race course begins just below the head of Hobbs Island and follows a series of gentle bends around the island. The finish line is located upstream of the mouth of Huntsville's Ditto Landing Marina.

To see the course, click here.