Editorial & Commentary
Beside the Point
By Michael Gooch
AS YOU MAY have read, the Dad Vail Regatta is coming to Rumson. I like to call it the Rumson Regatta as in the Henley Regatta in England. This development is potentially huge for the two river area and for New Jersey. The regatta has been held for some 50 plus years in Philadelphia and is considered one of the preeminent crew rowing events of the college calendar. About a hundred schools from across the country and Canada compete including the Ivies. Crew is a men's and women's sport, and we now have crew in Rumson at RFH.
Having this regatta in Rumson will put Rumson on the map. Imagine that hundreds of college students and their families will become familiar with the beauty of Rumson and the two river area. From a business perspective, this is probably bigger than the Breeders' Cup. Hotels will be full for miles around, and Rumson, Red Bank and the two river area has the potential to become a tourist destination just as Henley is in England. The logistics are going to be quite amazing, but spectators will be able to see the entire race course from the Oceanic Bridge. If the Dad Vail-Rumson Regatta becomes a fixture, it helps support the argument for federal and county funds to replace the Oceanic Bridge with something the same rather than a 70 foot span. Local businesses should get behind this regatta and provide corporate sponsorship. Certainly the TRT™ is.
