PHILADELPHIA – Preparations for the 47^th annual Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta are a year in the making for the Explorers as they set to compete for gold. This year the prestigious race will be held Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 on the Schuylkill River. Over 3,500 students from over 100 colleges and universities from North America and Canada are set to take part this weekend.

La Salle is entered in several races, including the Men's and Women's Varsity Eight, Women's Junior Varsity Eight, Men's Varsity Four, Men's Varsity Pair, Men's Freshman/Novice Eight and Women's Freshman/Novice Four.

Last year, the Men's and Women's Varsity Eight boats both posted heat finishes that qualified for reps Friday afternoon. Michigan, Men's Varsity Eight, and Purdue, Women's Varsity Eight, took first place in the grand final.

Other notable finishes include a third place heat finish in the Men's Varsity Pair, which projected the boat to the semi-finals on Saturday where it finished in fourth place. Also, the Women's Freshman/Novice Eight had a great spring season last year and continued into Dad Vails with a third place finish in its heat. The boat went onto the semi-finals on Saturday and finished fifth. The Men's Freshman/Novice Eight also moved onto semi-finals where it also finished fifth.

The complete regatta schedule can be found HERE (schedule subject to change) and will include times for semi-finals, reps, petite finals and grand finals.

Fans are invited to cheer on the Explorers at the Alumni Tent located around the 250-meter mark on both Friday and Saturday.

Complete coverage of the grand finals on Saturday will be showed live on 6ABC and ESPN3.com beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Heat times for Friday are as follows:
Men's Varsity Four – 7:00 a.m.
Men's Varsity Pair – 9:18 a.m.
Men's Varsity Eight – 10:42 a.m.
Women's Varsity Eight – 11:30 a.m.
Women's Freshman/Novice Four – 2:42 p.m.
Men's Freshman/Novice Eight – 4:32 p.m.
Women's Junior Varsity Eight – 5:37 p.m.