The women's crew team will race four boats this weekend in the two-day, 46th annual Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Mass., the world's second-largest regatta with about 8,000 rowers competing.
Tufts will take to the Charles River in a College Four, a Club Four, a Lightweight Four and a College Eight. To earn bids in next year's Head of the Charles, the boats must finish in the top 50 percent of their races this weekend.
Last weekend, as a tune-up, the Jumbos practiced on the challenging five-kilometer Charles course, which helped the coxswains familiarize themselves with its bridges and tight turns. Now that the boat lineups have been solidified, the team has been able to focus on timing of 90-degree turns as well as maintaining high stroke rates over long distances, or "pieces." At yesterday's practice, Tufts worked on two-mile pieces and also used Subway Bridge to simulate the Charles's difficult Eliot Bridge, which houses one of the race's two tight left-hand turns.
"Before every race, you get nervous and a bit edgy," senior tri-captain Rachel Steward said. "But after [Wednesday's] practice, I think everyone is feeling pretty confident."
She added that while placing in the top half of each race is a practical goal, the four boats also hope to maintain or improve on their starting positions. Steward's College Eight, for example, will begin in the 25th spot out of 42, and therefore would like to finish 25th or better.
The Jumbos, however, don't focus as heavily on fours as some other Div. III schools. In the College Fours, Tufts is likely to be up against unfamiliar teams, such as Bowdoin.
Tufts, like most Div. III schools, does not have a lightweight program, but Steward explained that coach Brian Dawe likes to mix it up and enter a Lightweight Four in the Head of the Charles. Last year, current senior Kaylee Maykranz and junior tri-captain Kathleen Holec were in the Lightweight Four that placed sixth out of 13, and they will team up with senior tri-captain Bianca Velayo, sophomore Ali Maykranz and sophomore coxswain Audrey Abrell with hopes of another strong result this weekend.
"We would like to place in the top three, so hopefully that will happen," Holec said. "But you can never tell with these races. You don't know who's going to show up, who's been training and how they've improved since last year, which also makes it exciting."
"This is a great opportunity for us," Velayo said. "We've made great improvements from last year, and I think the Head of the Charles will reflect that. I think we're in position to do really well."
After brutal weather conditions put a damper on last year's event, the weekend forecast looks promising and should help create the buzzing atmosphere that is characteristic of the Head of the Charles.
"We're all really excited about it, and we want as many Tufts people as possible to go check it out," Holec said. "It's a huge race, and people come from all over the world — national teams, high schools, colleges and clubs are all there. ... There are some really amazing athletes that participate, so it's pretty cool to be a part of."
The Head of the Charles attracts up to 300,000 spectators and is equipped with concessions as well as bleachers and bridges from which people can watch the action.
"It's pretty much the most exciting weekend of the year," Velayo said. "You can just sit out, enjoy the weather, watch some good racing and, whether you understand what's going on or not, it's really beautiful to watch boats moving well. There are so many people, so much good racing, and everyone appreciates coming out to watch it. It's a rower's dream."
Then again, on the Charles River, one wrong move can ruin a rower's day.
"If you want to see a crash, come to the Head of the Charles," Steward said. "But we won't be crashing."
