CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Brightly colored umbrellas and rain jackets dotted the banks and bridges of the Charles River over the weekend, as thousands of people turned out in Cambridge to view the world's largest two-day rowing event, The Head of the Charles Regatta. Both the men's and women's crew teams traveled north on Sunday - the final day of the regatta - to test their strength against a field of college teams, club squads and international boats.
The women came away with a ninth-place finish out of 47 boats in the championship eights and second-place finishes in both the freshmen eights and the championship fours, while the men took seventh out of 40 boats in the championship eights and fourth in the freshmen eights.
The Head of the Charles was first held in 1965 and has since grown to become the premier rowing event of the fall season, often attracting 300,000 spectators, according to the regatta's Web site. The three-mile race covers a challenging course requiring crews to navigate through buoys, bridges and boats from the starting line at the Boston University Boathouse to the finish. Teams begin with a staggered start, leaving at 10-second intervals, making the race both a headrace and a competition against the clock.
Women kick off season with two second-place finishes
The women's team was anxious to begin its season after the Head of the Connecticut Regatta was cancelled two weeks ago. The Head of the Charles, with all of its prestige, was a great way for the Bears to make their debut.
"It's exciting (to compete at the Head of the Charles)," said captain Gillian Almy '06. "It's a long race, so it is nice to have so many people cheering you on from the sidelines and it's fun to compete against teams from all over the world."
The freshmen eight was the first Brown boat to compete, starting its race at 8:51 a.m. It had a strong performance and clocked in second at 19:20.46, behind Yale and ahead of third-place Princeton.
The championship four took off later in the day and also had a standout race, coming in second at 19:16.71, behind the University of Victoria.
"The championship four had an amazing race. They competed all week to get into that boat and they really did well," Almy said.
One of the trademark challenges of the Head of the Charles is the course, which requires boats to weave through buoys and bridges, all while racing against the clock and the other crews on the river.
"(The staggered start) is a measure of toughness, because you don't know how other crews are doing. The Head of the Charles is a huge race for the coxswains. They have a huge influence over how your boat does; a wide turn can add a lot of seconds onto your time," Almy said.
The big race of the day - with 47 boats in the field - was the women's championship eights, starting at 3:57 p.m. Brown's oarswomen came out looking strong. By the two-mile mark, the Bears had caught the Radcliffe (Harvard) boat and passed it by two boat-lengths. Brown ended up finishing ninth, clocking in at 17:29.74. The boat from U.S. Rowing Princeton Training Center won the race, while Princeton's boat was one spot behind. Yale was the only other Ivy League school to finish ahead of Brown, taking sixth place.
"Personally, we had a good race, but overall, there were places where we didn't finish where we wanted to. But we have a lot of room for improvement and we have a team with a lot of depth, so that is what you really want," said captain Caitlin Flynn '06.
Almy echoed Flynn's sentiments.
"In past years, we haven't started the race at the beginning and really gone for it, and this year we took it out hard and held a strong pace. I was really proud," Almy said.
The Bears will have a return appearance at the Charles River at the Foot of the Charles Regatta. That competition, slated for Nov. 12, will be Brown's last before the spring season.
Men have best race in five years
The men, coming off a strong showing at the Stonehurst Regatta two weeks ago, arrived at the Charles River ready to race. The Bears posted one of their strongest showings in years as a program, taking seventh in the collegiate varsity eights and fourth in the freshmen eights.
"It is really exciting to race in front of a quarter million people and in such an international field. It is a very exhilarating and thrilling event to be a part of," said captain Ben Harrison '07.
The freshmen eight started the morning at 8:27 a.m. and crossed the finish line in fourth place at 17:05.07, behind Homberger RK Germania; University of California, Berkeley; and the Charles River Rowing Association.
The championship four rowed a great race and nearly finished fourth among the college field, but a one-minute penalty dropped them to 23rd.
The championship eight men's race was the last race for the team, commencing at 3:41 p.m. The rain had held off and conditions were overcast and cool. The Bears started off the race in 14th place and ended up passing both Dartmouth and Northeastern University.
"We rowed an audacious race. We put it all out on the line at the first stroke, and that attitude really paid off," said Evan Panich '07.
The oarsmen gave a standout performance, finishing seventh with a time of 15:08.72. Princeton took first in the race, followed by Cambridge University Boat Club. The Brown University Alumni boat finished one spot ahead of the Bears in sixth place.
"We did really, really well. We did better than Brown has done in five years," Harrison said. "We came in third among college crews ... I am really proud of the effort of the team overall. It is a sign of the positivity and strength of the program. We are heading in an exciting new direction, and I think we shocked a lot of other people ... we shocked everyone except ourselves."
"The guys did a great job. We raced an aggressive race, which is what we wanted to do. There is certainly room for improvement, but I think it was a great race and a good experience for the team," said Head Coach Paul Cooke.
The men's next race will feature a return trip to Cambridge on Nov. 19 for the Tail of the Charles.
