Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains just south of the town of Los Gatos, Los Gatos Rowing Club has been home to rowing in the South Bay since 1979. We offer year-round recreational and competitive rowing programs for middle school and high school students, and adults at Lexington Reservoir. Thousands of student athletes have rowed with us. We consider all of them “Family”! Along the way, our junior rowers have won numerous national and international titles, our alumni have gone on to row at top colleges and several have competed at the Olympic and world levels.

Our location is a pristine oasis within Silicon Valley - glassy, calm waters, stunning scenery and an abundance of wildlife ... bald eagles, blue herons, coyotes, tree frogs and even beavers! Motorized water-craft aren’t permitted on the reservoir so we share the water with just the occasional kayaker, paddle-boarder or fisherman.

Come and join us on the water!

Our mission is to provide recreational and competitive rowing programs for youths and adults of all backgrounds and abilities within Santa Clara Valley.

Our vision is to be a highly respected rowing club that:

We actively promote a culture in which every member of the club acts with the highest ethical, professional, and safety standards in everything we do, including the following core values:

Los Gatos Rowing Club was founded in 1979 by Skip Braatz. Skip rowed on the east coast and wanted to bring his love of rowing to high school athletes in the Santa Clara Valley. The original high school squad consisted of 14 athletes – just enough for a men’s eight and a women’s four. Today, 150 athletes are enrolled in our robust middle school and high school programs. Adult rowing was added to the club in 1982 and today we have 100+ adult members.

From its inception, the club has called Lexington Reservoir home, thanks to Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation. The original boathouse was located on the dam face and shared with the Santa Clara University (SCU) rowing team. As the club grew, a larger boathouse was built in 1982. A shocking act of arson on Memorial Day 1994 resulted in complete loss of the boathouse and all boats.

Thanks to the determined fundraising and planning efforts of both LGRC and SCU, a new boathouse was built at our current Lexington Reservoir location. Rowers, parents, community members and local authorities all rallied together to make this incredible feat happen. The building was dedicated in October of 1996.

After the fire, a new LGRC logo was designed containing a rising sun to illustrate the re-birth of the club and the motto “Per Ardua ad Meta” or “Through Adversity to the Goal.”