For more than a century, the home of the California crew has been the Oakland Estuary, located between Alameda Island and the City of Oakland.

The Estuary offers 11 miles of protected waters and is one of the few courses in the nation where a straight three mile race can be held.

The Ky Ebright Boathouse, the Bears' home since 1924, steeped in nearly 70 years of tradition, is a virtual Olympic museum. In fact, the Boathouse is believed to be home to more Olympic gold medalists than any other sports facility in the world, as no fewer than 27 Olympic gold medalists have learned their skills and trained for their Olympic victories on the Estuary.

Located at 2909 Glascock Street in Oakland (phone: 510-261-4648), the Boathouse lies between the Park Street and Fruitvale Avenue Bridges. The 2000-meter race course runs west to east, starting at Government Island and finishing at the Fruitvale Bridge. Best viewing is from the bridges and the Alameda and Oakland shorelines near Fruitvale Avenue.