Talk on the history of the Hudson River regattas

rowing-team-@ — The University of Wisconsin varsity sport rowing team in front of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge. They competed in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta on June 11, 1914.

If you’ve seen a regatta, it’s hard to forget it. Ditto for the simple art of sculling practices. Think of the Charles between Boston and Cambridge, or the Schuylkill just west of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Think Eakins’ grand paintings of sleek craft slicing water, keen men urging on their rowers, or the elegance of Henley.

This Monday, October 5, the Lloyd Historical Society in Highland will feature a talk about the history of Hudson River rowing and the intercollegiate regattas that were once a regional thrill. Marist College Crew coach Tom Sanford will bring together artifacts, video and still pictures to illustrate the races that used to bring the river to a standstill, and require special trains for regatta aficionados from up and down the East Coast. The son of a rowing coach, and himself responsible for Marist’s 19 consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships, Sanford will also highlight the continuing legacy of river rowing to this day.

“A History of Hudson River Regattas,” Tom Sanford, Monday, October 5, 7 p.m., free, Vineyard Commons, 300 Vineyard Avenue (Route 44/55), Highland; (845) 255-7742, www.tolhps.orgwww.tolhps.org.