Head of the Charles Regatta
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The Head of the Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR or HOTC, is a rowing race held on the penultimate complete weekend of October each year on the Charles River, which separates Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The race is named the "Head" of the Charles because it is a head race. It is the largest 2-day regatta in the world, with more than 8,000 athletes rowing in around 1750 boats in 56 events. It attracts about 300,000 spectators throughout Regatta weekend. The Head of the Charles Regatta is run by an office of 3 and approximately 1,500 volunteers. The regatta is hosted by Cambridge Boat Club, a rowing and social club founded in 1909 that lies just before the Eliot bridge, on the Cambridge side of the river.
The last races of the Regatta are generally the most prestigious: Championship 4s, and Championship 8s (both men and women). Championship sculling events (1x/single and 2x/double) race on Saturday afternoon. The Championship events usually include current U.S. National Team athletes.
The competitive field includes individual and team competitors from colleges, high schools, and clubs from nearly all American states and various countries. The 2006 field included rowers from China, South Africa, Croatia, Ireland, and the Netherlands, to name a few. The age of athletes spans from 14 to 85 years old with experience levels from novice to Olympic. In 2007, approximately 10% of the field was international.
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[edit] The course
The course is 3.2 miles long and stretches from the start at Boston University's DeWolfe Boathouse near the Charles River Basin to the finish just after the Eliot Bridge and before Northeastern University's Henderson Boathouse. The course is renowned for being challenging for crews to navigate without incident or penalty. The course contains 6 bridges in total, which appear in this order from the start: Boston University/Railroad Bridge, River Street Bridge, Western Avenue Bridge, John W. Weeks Footbridge, Anderson Memorial Bridge, and Eliot Bridge. The Weeks and Eliot Bridges fall at sharp turns in the course, and collisions occur here more than any other part of the course.
[edit] Additional features
- Reunion Village, a cluster of protected tents where various alumni associations and clubs hold gatherings. Also, the only place where alcohol is legally served at the race.
- Multiple food and clothing vendors.
- Free giveaways along the river from sponsors including trips abroad, clothing, and samples.
- Special exhibition races of elite athletes, in some years.
[edit] History
The Head of the Charles Regatta was first organized in 1965 by Cambridge Boat Club members D'Arcy MacMahon, Howard McIntyre, and Jack Vincent. Harvard University sculling instructor Ernest Arlett proposed the idea for the race. The Regatta expanded to a two-day event in 1997. In 1991, Frederick V. Schoch was appointed Executive Director of the Regatta, and he continues to oversee the event.
[edit] Charity program
Since 1998, the Head of the Charles Regatta's Charity Program has generated over $650,000 for its official charities, which include Access Sport America, Cambridge Community Foundation, and Community Rowing. The Charity Program allows competitors to gain an automatic entry into the regatta in exchange for raising $1250 per person, per entry. Any single, double, four, or eight is eligible to enter.
[edit] Awards
First place medals are awarded to winning competitors in each event category of the race. The first place medals are struck bronze medallions that are 2.5 inches in diameter. They show a single sculler from above on the front, and are engraved with the year and event on the back. Only the first place medals are distributed at the Regatta on Saturday and Sunday evenings following the races. Medals for second and third place medallions are of the same design, but are 1.75 inches in diameter. The Regatta also issues additional medals according to the number of entries in the race. For instance, in a race with 50 competitors, 5 medals are issued.
Special medals are issued to the most competitive Youth scullers, the fastest High School crews in the Youth Fours and Eights events, and the fastest collegiate crews in the Championship Fours and Eights events.
[edit] Course records
Club Singles Men: Nat Keohane 18:17.14 (1997) Women: Josee Paquette 20:36.59 (1997)
Club Fours Men: Charles River Rowing Association 16:33.88 (2002) Women: Saugatuck Rowing Association 18:42.95 (1997)
Club Eights Men: Onota Lake Rowing Association 14:56.49 (1997) Women: Univ. of Tennessee 16:49.911 (2005)
Youth Doubles Men: Course Record: B. McEwan/ N. Kelly 17:46.309 Women: L. Sisler/ L. Cowal 19:51:957 (2006)
Youth Fours Men: .S. Naval Academy 16:23.9 (1994) Women: Community Rowing 17:19.960 (2001)
Youth Eights Men: Harvard University 14:58.6 (1992) Women: St. Catharines Rowing Club 17:02.22 (1997)
Master Singles Men: Robert Spousta 18:16.9 (1984) Women: Cynthia Matthes 19:55.24 (1997)
Master Doubles Men: M. Smith/ D. Gorriaran 17:13.68 (2003) Women: T. Zarzeczny-Bell/ S. Remmler 19:00.316 (2007)
Master Fours Men: Belfast Rowing Club 17:03.38 (1997) Women: Portland Boat Club 18:54.35 (1995)
Master Eights Men: Leander Boat Club, Canada 15:16.13 (2001) Women: Long Beach RA 17:14.17 (2001)
Grand Master Singles Men: Lawrence Klecatsky 18:54.3 (1992) Women: Judy Geer 21:30.930 (2007)
Senior Master Singles Men: Gregory Benning 18:19.758 (2007) Women: Margarita Jekabsons 20:18.04 (2003)
Senior-Master Doubles Men: R. Haberl/ R. Slocum 18:06.910 (2007) Women: J. Linse/ S. Kinne 19:53.749 (2007)
Senior-Master Fours Men: Toronto Sculling Club 17:25.52 (2003) Women: Watercat Rowing Club 19:48.392 (2007)
Senior-Master Eights Team Attager 15:43.490 (2007) Women: 1980 Rowing Club 18:00.427 (2007)
Veteran Singles Men: C. Collins 19:24.329 (adjusted) (2001) Women: Brook Stevens 23:25.66 (adjusted) (2007)
Senior Veteran Singles Men: R. Kendall 20:31.75 (adjusted) (2001) Women: L. Rindlaub (70 +) 25:34.773 (adjusted) (2007)
Collegiate Fours Men: Michigan Rowing Association 17:10.678 (2007) Women: Marquette University 19:19.167 (2007)
Collegiate Eights Men: Trinity College 14:58.705 (2007) Women: Queen's University, Canada 16:47.321 (2003)
Lightweight Singles Men: Paul Fuchs 17:24.8 (1984) Women: Teresa Zarzeczny 19:00.58 (1992)
Lightweight Fours Men: New York Athletic Club 15:49.63 (2003) Women: Baltimore Rowing Club 18:26.97 (1992)
Lightweight Eights Men: Rowing Canada 14:21.01 (1997) Women: Argonaut RC 16:14.87 (1992)
Championship Singles Men: John Biglow 17:29.8 (1982) Women: Virginia Gilder 18:45.6 (1982)
Championship Doubles Men: Boston Rowing Center 16:01.2 (1992) Women: A. De Zwager/J. Rumball 17:51.46 (2003)
Championship Fours Men: Princeton Training Center 15:34.4 (1997) Women: London Training Center 17:27.35 (2003)
Championship Eights Men: USRowing 13:58.99 (1997) Women: USRowing 15:26.572 (2007)
[edit] Gallery
 Spectators lining the bank of the Charles River in 2003 |
 And 2002 |
 Queen's University Belfast, a crew from Northern Ireland, racing in the Head of the Charles in 2003 |
 Kennedy School women's team outside the Weld Boathouse preparing to row the Head of the Charles in 1996, though that year the race was cancelled due to bad weather. |
