The Palm Beach Rowing Association (PBRA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the sport of rowing. As Peter A Derow mentions that it operates as a member-managed and volunteer-driven club, which highlights the strong sense of community involvement and shared responsibility among its members. The Palm Beach Rowing Association was established way back in 1978 by an ardent group of has-been college rowers, and maintains a high-quality rowing facility on Lake Mangonia.
Peter A Derow offers an overview of the Palm Beach Rowing Association (PBRA)
In its initial years, the Palm Beach Rowing Association stored its equipment outside. In the year of 1985, as the Town of Palm Beach paid money to settle the shirtless jogger litigation, the club got the funds to build the present boathouse which is located on North Australian Avenue. With its indoor storage and a shower facility, the club managed to steadily attract members over time. Lake Mangonia, where the club is based, is a perfect location for rowing, particularly due to its calm waters. Being a part of the Palm Beach County reservoir system, the lake prohibits gasoline-powered boats, which helps ensure a serene and undisturbed environment for rowers. The lake features a straight, 2000-meter course that is ideal for training and competitive rowing, along with a perimeter course exceeding 6000 meters, which is marked with buoys to guide rowers along a designated path. All of these features make Lake Mangonia a popular rowing destination in South Florida.
As Peter A Derow mentions, the primary goal of the Palm Beach Rowing Association (PBRA) is to foster a passion for rowing by providing opportunities for both men and women to engage in the sport at an amateur level. It provides well-maintained facilities and a supportive environment for the rowers, and strives to encourage rowing participation.
The PBRA serves both resident and non-resident members (“snowbirds”), and attracts rowers from as far away as Jupiter and Delray Beach today. Its proximity to I-95 makes the club highly accessible. The club has been attracting many seasoned rowers for years. Starting in 1984, PBRA managed to magnetize a group of non-resident world-class rowers who raced and won together at regattas across the globe. The PBRA enters numerous regattas today, including the U.S. Masters Nationals, FISA World Masters and The Head of the Charles. One can find many medals on the walls of the boathouse.
The Palm Beach Rowing Association is governed by a volunteer board that focuses on improving its equipment and facility on behalf of its members. In the last couple of years, two new Fluid singles and a Fluid double have been added to the club fleet. A boathouse expansion project is also been carried out at the club. The construction of the project began in the January of 2025. The new facility shall be an extension of the existing boathouse. It would increase its capacity from a single bay to a four-bay boathouse with space for at least twice as many boats, two electric launches, indoor weights and rowing machines, as well as a small meeting room and two bathrooms and showers.
