Round Island Regatta: Saturday August 15th, 2026
Sail, Paddle or Row in the 16th Round Island Regatta!
Join the nonprofit Gundalow Company’s 16th annual Round Island Regatta at Peirce Island Boat Launch on Saturday August 15th 2026 between 1PM and 4PM!
Our tradition continues with a prize awarded for best competitor costume! This years theme is 1776/Revolutionary War (no weapons please) and our awards ceremony will include snacks and desserts.
Registration $30 for adults, $15 for children.
Please note that we will NOT be providing lunch this year.
Click above to see our leaderboard of previous winners!
Schedule
HIGH WATER AT 2:10PM
1:00PM-2:30PM
Registration Open (Peirce Island Boat Launch)
2:00PM
Sailboat Skippers Meeting
(Peirce Ramp, please have boats launched and rigged prior)
Class 1 Sailboat Start On The Water
Little Gundalow Derby (Peirce Island Dock)
Youth Paddle Skippers Meeting (Peirce Ramp)
Youth Paddlers Start
2:30PM
Paddle & Oar Skippers Meeting (Peirce Ramp)
First Wave: Lady Isle Start
Second Wave: Round Island Start
Kayakers, then Stand Up Paddleboards, then Rowers
Second Wave: Round Island Start
Kayakers, then Stand Up Paddleboards, then Rowers
3:15PM
Awards ceremony & Desserts (Four Tree Island)
Course
Courses will be described at the sail and paddle skipper’s meetings prior. Sailors will go between one and three times around Round Island and the marks set by the race committee. Rowers and paddlers will have the option of doing the standard twice around Round Island Course (1 mile) or the longer Lady Isle course (1.9 miles), also starting and finishing near the Peirce Island Ramp.
Class
Lady Isle long course– optional for experienced rowers and paddlers
Youth Paddler Class (ages 13 and under)
Single Paddler (ages 14+, paddle and oar)
Multi-Paddlers (all paddle and oar craft with two or more people)
“Round Island” Regatta Course
Starting near the South End Yacht Club, leave Round Island and both race marks (here labeled SE and NW) to PORT for two loops before heading to the finish.
3000 ft / ½ nautical mile each loop, total around 1 mile.
“Lady Isle” Regatta Course
Starting near the South End Yacht Club, leave Round Island to PORT, pass under the New Castle Ave Bridge, leave Lady Isle (AKA Belle Isle) to PORT, and return through the bridges by the shortest route.
2.15 land miles/ 1.86 nautical miles
No handicaps, no protests and skippers are solely responsible
for the safety of their crews and boats.
Contact information, Parking & Directions
Round Island Regatta is organized by the Gundalow Company in Portsmouth, NH. You can reach our Event Coordinator at 603-433-9505 or [email protected].
This event is held in multiple locations:
- The primary site for Round Island Regatta is the Peirce Island Boat Ramp. Go to Google Maps.
Parking
- Our staff will direct you to parking on Peirce Island. Cars with boats on top can be unloaded at the water’s edge, then parked at the far end on the grass. Cars with trailers have designated parking. Spectator cars cannot park near the launch, but can find parking elsewhere on the island.
- For ADA parking: There are ADA parking spaces in the Four Tree Island lot just across from the boat ramp.
- For more details see https://accessnavigators.com/portsmouth-nh/