The crew teams, after an impressive performance in their first race this past weekend, are looking towards the Head of the Charles, the premier rowing event of the fall season, which occurs this weekend in Cambridge. Mass.
In the first race of the season at the Stonehurst Regatta in Rochester N.Y., all three squads showed themselves to be among the top in their respective classes.
The first boat of men’s heavyweight eight had one of the most impressive performances at the regatta. The boat which finished fourth in the nation at the IRA championships last spring, showed it continues to be among the top contenders in the nation. The Red ended up medaling in the race by finishing third out of a field of 31, trailing only Harvard –which won the event — and Brown.
“It was first test against Ivy League schools,” said heavyweight member Ken Davies, adding that the boat seems to have more top-end speed than last year.
The second boat of the men’s heavyweight eight showed itself also to be in top form, finishing seventh overall.
The finish is an indication of a step up from last year’s performance when the Red’s heavyweight boats finished eighth and 11th, respectively. Both boats had noticeable improvements in their times from last year.
The men’s heavyweight four also showed itself to be a strong contender going into the Head of the Charles, with its top boat having the best finish of any boat in the group — second overall. The Red second boat took 11th place in the race.
The men’s lightweight squad also shows much promise in its first race. The top boat in the men’s eight finished an impressive third, while its second and third boats finished seventh and ninth respectively.
The women also gave a strong showing in Rochester. The women’s eight took sixth and 10th. The top women’s four boat gave the strongest performance of the women, finishing second. The second boat finished 19th overall.
The Red hopes to take its momentum into the Head of the Charles which is the biggest two day racing event in the world.
“It’s the largest regatta in North America,” said Davies, adding that 300,000 spectators show up for the event.
The Red heavyweights will not only be racing against fellow universities but also some global competition, in the form of the U.S., French, Croatian, German and Dutch national teams.
“I think it’d be great if we can finish better that last year,” Davies said.
Last year the Red heavyweights took ninth.
Win or lose though, the Head of the Charles is an experience to beholden for rowers on all levels.
“At the Charles, there are people lined on both sides of the river,” Davies explained. “It’s an amazing atmosphere.”
Archived article by Chris Callanan