Ahead of the Head of Charles

With the Head of the Charles Regatta fast approaching, campus is full of anticipation. While fans prepare to enjoy the festivities and cheer on their school, rowers have a different focus: with less than a week until the competition, they are immersed in practice.

Several members of the Cambridge Boat Club founded the Head of the Charles Regatta in 1965, following the suggestion of Harvard’s sculling instructor. First held on Oct. 16, 1965, the race modeled itself on regattas held on England’s rivers. Each year, participants start about 10 seconds apart and race a 5-kilometer course along the Charles River. The winner earns the honorary title “The Head of the Charles.” This is an important competition for elite rowers, as it is a rare time when crew takes center stage in the national athletic scene.

While many focus on the collegiate teams competing in the race, all types of competitors are involved. Some rowers are local high school students with the opportunity to compete on the Charles. Others are alums or senior rowers trying to stay active and relish the thrill of competition. The regatta even has a parent/child doubles race. Everyone is just buzzing to get on the water.

Though the regatta is in October, the teams have been preparing months in advance, as this fated race kicks off the fall season. “We’ve been on the water since just about late August,” Ryan Brewington ’28, a lightweight rower, said in an interview with the “Harvard Independent.”

As Oct. 17 approaches, practice structure shifts. Rather than short stints around Cambridge waters, Harvard’s rowers begin intense preparation for the race’s extensive five-kilometer course. The Head of the Charles course is three kilometers longer than typical regattas.

“In the beginning of the year, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, we do race pieces to prepare, where we’ll practice different portions of the course,” Lily Farden ’27, a captain of the women’s heavyweight team, shared. On Wednesdays, they practice the first half of the course, while on Saturdays they do the longer distance to build endurance and simulate the difficulty of the mid-October competition. Each week, they spend more time on the water and row longer and longer distances. Their most recent practice included two or three 2,000-meter pieces.

The Head of the Charles Regatta attracts particular attention, and for good reason—the course is a formidable opponent even for the best athletes. “I think the most challenging part of the race is just the course itself. It’s very windy. There’s a lot of bridges on the Charles,” Brewington said.

Some rowers call the regatta the “coxswain’s race,” since coxswains steer the boat as efficiently as possible. More practice on the Charles’ twists and turns, as offered to Crimson rowers, creates opportunities to save seconds here and there—critical in tight races.

Beyond familiarity with the course, being close to fans gives team morale a huge boost. “It’s just a home course for us in sort of an energetic sense,” Farden said. “Our boathouse will be so full of the best energy and ruckus: fans and family and friends. It’s always a magical place to be at our boathouse, but I think especially during Head of the Charles, it feels really special to have support just overflowing.”

Despite heavy crowds and fans, this “home court” feeling softens the day’s weight. “We’re always put under pressure in a way,” said Erin Hanrahan ’27, also a women’s heavyweight captain. “We always have to perform, and we always strive to give our best every single practice.”

In fact, fans’ presence bolsters the usual scene. “It literally feels like you’re on cloud nine because there are so many spectators cheering for you,” Hanrahan added.

In spite of the pressure, each race brings its own set of challenges.

Staying in sync with the rest of the team is crucial and can determine whether a boat succeeds or fails. Though every boat follows the same stroke, athletes naturally have their own cadence as they pull and push the oars. Steady, aligned movement is critical—a skill cultivated through extensive practice and time together as a team. “[We make] sure we all physically sync up in the boat. It takes a second to relearn … the Radcliffe rowing stroke and relearn how to row with each other,” Hanrahan said.

For decades, the Head of the Charles has brought together the Harvard community, rowers, and Cambridge residents. As Harvard athletes prepare to compete, the community should show up and cheer them on Oct. 16–18. If not to show the athletes the support of the Harvard community, then at least for the free Dunkin’ T-shirt!

Anna Gunko ’30 (agunko@college.harvard.edu) is comping the “Harvard Independent.”