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Organizers Ready For Dad Vail Regatta, Rain Or Shine

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Volunteers are getting equipment into place along Kelly Drive for Friday's start of the largest collegiate rowing event in North America.

The Dad Vail Regatta is rain or shine. But with an eye on possible heavy rains on Saturday, organizers have flipped the order and accelerated the pace of the races, says Jim Hanna, president of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee.

"We want to make sure that the premiere events have the best possible conditions of all. So, we'll be running time trials Friday morning, semifinals Friday afternoon, and final races Saturday morning and then lesser events as the day progresses," Hanna said.

Hanna says races will be run every five minutes, instead of every seven or eight.

As teams from 100 colleges compete on the Schuylkill River, drivers should be aware that Kelly Drive is closed between Strawberry Mansion Drive and Fountain Green Drive until Saturday evening.

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