Regatta

A regatta is a term used to describe either a boat race, or series of boat races. 

Although the term typically describes racing events of unpowered watercraft, some powerboat race series are also called regattas.  Most commonly, a regatta is either a series of rowing, sailing or yacht racing.

Although regattas are typically amateur competitions, they are usually very highly organized, formally structured events, with complex rules precisely describing the schedule and procedures of the event.

Rowing regattas
Henley Royal Regatta, held every year on the river Thames is the most prestigious British event
The Boat Race is a rowing race between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club. It is rowed annually each Spring on the Thames in London.
Dad Vail Regatta, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Head of the Charles Regatta, on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sailing regattas
America's Cup, hosted by prior winner
Balmain Regatta held annually on Sydney Harbour, Australia
 Bass Week, Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria
Bay Week, Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Block Island Race Week, Storm Trysail Club Rhode Island
CORK Regatta, Kingston, Ontario, annually in August.
Cowes Week, Royal Yacht Squadron, England
Fowey Royal Regatta, Fowey Cornwall annually in August  
Kamer 2 Sailing Marathon, Kaag, Netherlands, annually in September
Key West Race Week, Key West, Florida
Larchmont Race Week, Larchmont Yacht Club, New York
Long Beach Race Week, Long Beach, California
National Offshore One Design (NOOD)
Round Texel, Texel, Netherlands, annually in June
Lysekil Women's Match, Lysekil, Sweden, annually in August
Tjörn Runt, Tjörn, Sweden, annually in August
Washington's Birthday Regatta, Coconut Grove, Florida, annually in February
Youngstown Levels, Youngstown, New York
Figawi Race, Hyannis, MA

College Sailing Regattas
Charleston Open, College of Charleston
Kennedy Cup, US Naval Academy
The Roth Regatta, Roth Pond, State University of New York at Stony Brook
Intercollegiate Sailing Association National Championships, various locations

High school sailing regattas
Mallory Cup, United States high school sailing national championships.
The National School Sailing Assosiation Regatta, UK. Annual Sailing reggatta held in various sailing clubs and competed in by many secondary school students.

Other regattas
The Madison Regatta, Madison, Indiana. (hydroplanes)
Kingston Multi-Hull Regatta, Kingston, Ontario (multihull sailboats and sailing hydrofoils)
Henley-on-Todd Regatta - an Australian dry-land event.
Royal Hobart Regatta - A Multiple event 3 day Reggatta in Tasmania, Australia.
Sy Barash Regatta - discontinued event at Penn State
Worrell 1000, between South Beach and Virginia Beach, Virginia
For the Cruise Ship Regatta see Oceania Cruises

Other websites
How to Start Racing a Boat
The photos and videos of Borneo regatta
Watski Skagerrak TwoStar, online yacht race in Norway, Denmark and Sweden 
Aegean Regatta Photos 
International Sailing Federation, the international governing body of sailboat racing
US Sailing's official homepage
Sailing Anarchy, a very popular international sailing site

Boat racing
Water sports