Sprint Races - held in the spring and summer
Regattas have separate divisions - Men's (M), Women's (W), Heavyweight (HWT), Lightweight (LWT), etc.- and are divided into 8+'s, 4+'s, 1x's, 2x's and so on. In a typical regatta there are separate races designated as M8+, W8+, M4+, W4+, W1x, etc. Lightweight divisions require a weigh-in before the start of the regatta. You may also see divisons according to experience (novice, varsity), age (junior and masters), and skill level (senior, A, B, Elite, etc.)

The standard international racing distance is 2000 meters (preferably straight) on a course that may be marked by buoys separating six shells racing against each other in designated lanes. These races can take anywhere from 5 1/2 to 8 1/2 minutes depending on boat class, weather conditions, water current, and the physical condition and experience of the rowers.

Crews are expected to be at their starting stations two minutes before the scheduled time of the race. Once the boats are locked on, the starting judge will supervise the alignment process. When all crews are level, the starter will then poll the crews by calling their names. When all crews have been polled, the starter raises a red flag and says: "Attention!". After a clear pause, the starter indicates the start by dropping the red flag quickly to one side and simultaneously says: "GO!".

In windy conditions, the starter may dispense with polling the crews and use a "quick start." Coxswains can indicate that they are trying to point their boats by raising their hands. Once they have finished maneuvering, they lower their hands. Here, the starter says "Attention!" and if no crew responds, immediately raises the red flag and gives the starting commands. In a FISA regatta, once the red flag is raised in a quick start, a coxswain's hands-up signal is no longer recognized, but in the US, the starter will still recognize hands.

In the US, the procedure of last resort is the "countdown start." The Starter dispenses with further polling, and counts down "5-4-3-2-1 Attention! GO!" Once the countdown starts, hands are not recognized, and the crews should use the five second countdown to point their boats.

Crews can be assessed a warning for a false start, for being late to the start, or for traffic rules violation. A crew that receives two warnings in the same race is excluded from the event.

If a crew breaks equipment in the first 100 meters of the race, it should stop rowing and signal to the umpire, who will then stop the race. Broken equipment under FISA and USRA rules does not include a crab (fausse pelle) or jumped slide.

Once the race has begun, the umpire (referee in US or Canada) follows in a launch. He/she will instruct a crew only to avoid a foul or safety hazard. If a crew is about to interfere with another crew, the umpire will raise a white flag, call the crew's name, and drop the flag in the direction where the crew should move. If a crew is about to hit a known obstruction (such as a bridge abutment) the umpire will raise a white flag, call the crew, and yell "Obstacle!" or simply "Stop!" If the umpire needs to stop the entire race, he will ring a bell or sound a horn, wave a red flag, and call out "Stop!" if necessary.

A crew that wishes to protest the race must raise a hand after it crosses the finish line and lodge the protest with the umpire. This must be followed by a written protest accompanied by $25.00 USD (50 Swiss Francs internationally). A jury will decide the protest after a hearing. If the hearing goes in the favor of the protest then the $25.00 is returned.

Head Races - held in the fall

These races, which are generally held in the fall, are 2.5-3 miles long and the boats are started in their respective divisions separately at 10 second intervals. Head races are usually on a river with hazards, such as bridges and turns, that can make passing quite interesting.