The 2027 Sarasota 2K rowing regatta is set for Friday, March 26, and Saturday, March 27, at Nathan Benderson Park.

Top collegiate crews will race on the park's permanent FISA Class A 2,000-meter sprint course, the only one of its kind in North America. Formerly known as the IRA Sarasota Invitational, the regatta features championship men's and women's programs, NCAA Division I women's teams and Florida rowing schools. Registration opens Thursday, Oct. 1, according to the event page on the Nathan Benderson Park website.

Elite programs compete for the Benderson Cups

Harvard, Yale, Washington, Stanford, Brown and Northeastern are among the schools confirmed to compete. Friday afternoon's races pit those programs against each other for the Benderson Cups.

At the 2026 regatta, top-ranked Washington's men defeated No. 2 Harvard and No. 8 Stanford to claim the Men's Benderson Cup, according to Washington's athletics site. The University of Central Florida's women completed a perfect sweep to win their second consecutive Women's D1 Benderson Cup, extending a 20-race win streak at the event, UCF reported.

The 2026 edition drew more than 2,500 athletes, families and fans to the Sarasota-Bradenton area and featured 34 collegiate teams, MySuncoast reported in March 2026.

Park prepares for 2028 world championships

The venue is also preparing for the World Rowing Championships in August 2028. A multisport complex and boathouse project is estimated at $75 million to $80 million, with groundbreaking expected in November, the Business Observer reported.

Peter Harvey, director of sports at Visit Sarasota County, said in a March 2026 news release that Nathan Benderson Park "has become one of the premier venues for rowing and water sports in the entire United States."

Sponsors, practice and alumni events

WinTech and King Racing are presenting sponsors for the 2027 regatta. Practice begins Thursday, March 25. A welcome party for coaches, support staff and alumni is scheduled that evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with the location to be announced. An alumni watch party in the Benderson Family Finish Tower is set for Friday, March 26, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Ticket sales for the tower event open in January. Teams can register beginning Oct. 1 at the Nathan Benderson Park website.