ABOUT RIVER ROMP
Important JO Updates & Reminders
COACHES & SUPPORT BOATS must register – if you plan to be on the water, please register on the Coach/Support Boat link on our website. At check-in Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, you can pick up your assigned flag. Please return the flags immediately after racing on Sunday.
SAILING INSTRUCTIONS will be emailed to registrants’ email addresses AND will be posted on our website. Be sure to download/print them before leaving home or download them to your smart phone.
TRAILERS will be parked at the venue and in additional locations given to you upon arrival.
BOAT RAMPS – we apologize for the inconvenience, but neither boat ramp is easily accessible. Be sure to check our website for diagrams/maps and addresses. Click here for directions.
COACH & SUPPORT BOATS may raft overnight at Three Fishermen/Best Western, but please leave closest spaces for restaurant patrons.
REUSABLE BOTTLES are a must for this event. Everyone should have one…not just sailors.
PARK REGULATIONS do not permit alcohol, smoking, vaping or pets.
FOOD for sailors– Continental breakfast will be available both mornings for sailors. Coffee available for parents! Lunch on the water and supper after racing for SAILORS and regatta volunteers. Parents and siblings are encouraged to visit any of the vicinity restaurants! We will NOT be selling extra food tickets this year.
If you are returning to River Romp, welcome back! If you are participating for the first time, welcome to the North Shore!
- Edison Sailing Center is delighted to welcome Commodore Donna Sue Marks, Florida Sailing Association, as its VIP Award Presenter
- This year’s Opti Green Fleet will spend part of its time in mini-clinics during the scheduled racing days. Information presented in these sessions can be applied when the sailors head back to the race course. ESC’s and our PRO’s intent is to keep this JO event as a learning experience and opportunity for its youngest and newest sailors
- Parents of brand new sailors, especially Green Fleeters, are invited to participate in a session called S.A.I.L. (Sailing and Interest for a Lifetime). Experienced parents, sailors, coaches, & industry representatives will be available to help make sense out of this sport called sailing and how to survive over time.
- Students from area high schools will be in charge of our Green Regatta Initiatives. Look for our teens in their green shirts. Your support of their efforts will be appreciated: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Edison Sailing Center, in collaboration with US Sailing, is proud to host a U.S. Junior Olympic Regatta – the River Romp – on the north shore of the Caloosahatchee River.
River Romp is a US Junior Olympic event which requires that all sailors be members in good standing of US Sailing. Membership can be acquired through US Sailing’s website www.ussailing.org/membership.
All sailors and coaches must wear (USCG) approved safety gear while on the water. Compliance is mandatory. This is also written in the Notice of Race.
US Junior Olympic Regattas are learning events – our PROs, race officials, volunteers, and staff make every effort to provide useful feedback and information to each of the fleets. Optimist Green fleeters learn the basics of racing and are recognized with certificates of participation or participation medals. This practice is aligned with USODA and US Sailing’s recommendations for this fleet.
ESC partners with Sailors for the Sea and registers River Romp as a Clean Regatta. We have earned the Bronze level for several years and want to move our stewardship needle higher, with everyone’s cooperation.
Ways sailors and families can help:
a. bring reusable water bottles. Keep single-use containers to a minimum. Multiple water filling stations are available throughout the venue and on RC vessels.
b. print your Sailing Instructions at home. Help us reduce our printing footprint. To print sufficient sailing instructions for River Romp, we use at least 2400 sheets of paper and multiple ink cartridges. If there are changes, we will post them on the Official Notice Board, as required.
c. use water only to rinse off your boats – do not use detergents or other cleaning agents.
d. protect our wildlife – we have wild birds and nesting critters that call the north shore their home. Please do not chase, feed or throw things at them.
e. recycle – items that can be recycled, please use the appropriate bins.
We are proud to partner with Lee County’s Parks & Recreation Department, and request that guests follow posted park rules regarding ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS/WEAPONS, & PETS. Many hotels now welcome family pets. Service animals are always welcome; please be considerate of those who are allergic to pet dander or pet hair and do not bring pets into the venue.
