Eastern Sprints

The Eastern Sprints is the annual rowing championship for the men's Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC) in Northeast USA.

Participants
The teams include all of the Ivy League schools as well as others such as Georgetown University, Syracuse University, U.S. Naval Academy, BU, Northeastern, and Wisconsin. In the fall of 2006, The George Washington University and The College of the Holy Cross were given a two-year provisional bid to join the league; both schools became full members of the league. Several members have since left the league, including Rutgers University, George Washington University, and MIT.

Full Members of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges Former Members

Location
The race is held at Regatta Point on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, MA in mid to late May. In general, crews compete in a trial heat in the morning, followed by a final (grand, petite, or 3rd level) in the afternoon. Each race is a 2000m race including up to six crews.

Team cups
Since 1946, the Rowe Cup has been awarded to the college whose heavyweight men's crews score the highest combined total number of points in the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman races. Harvard has won the cup the most number of times (27). Princeton has the 2nd most Rowe Cup victories with 9 (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2015, 2016).

Since 1961, the Jope Cup has been awarded to the college whose lightweight men's crews score the highest combined total number of points in the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman races. Harvard has won the cup 22 times. Princeton has won 15 times. The current holder is the University of Pennsylvania, coached by Colin Farrell.

Since 2009, the Joke Cup has been awarded to the college whose fourth varsity lightweight men's crew won its race at Eastern Sprints. The Joke Cup is a reward for the fourth varsity non-Jope Cup qualifying crew that performs the best at the Sprints. It is awarded in secret, given from crew to crew at an undisclosed location. Harvard won the Joke Cup in its inaugural year, 2009. Yale won the cup in 2011, Cornell in 2010, 2012, and 2015. Navy in 2013, and Columbia in 2014. After the third varsity eight became a Jope Cup event for the Kilpatrick Trophy in 2015, the Joke Cup is now passed between fourth varsity eights.