This weekend, more than 8,000 athletes from around the world will converge on Cambridge, Mass., for the 47th annual Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest two−day regatta in the world. Tufts' men's and women's crew teams will be among the hundreds of rowers racing as they compete in the collegiate Four and Eight categories, as well as the Lightweight Eights category.
"This is one of the biggest races of the year and we couldn't be more excited," sophomore Ian McConnell said. "We all just can't wait to get out there and compete."
The Regatta features 55 different events involving almost 2,000 boats in the two−day period. The three−mile race begins at Boston University's DeWolfe Boathouse near the BU Bridge and finishes past the Eliot Bridge by the Artesani Playground in Brighton. In addition to the races, the action−packed weekend will feature displays by boat builders and a rowing and fitness expo. An expected turnout of more than 300,000 enthusiastic spectators should make for a fun and chaotic weekend scene.
"The most important thing is to just stay focused while we're out there and not think about the crowd," senior Erika Parisi, who will be racing in the Lightweight Eights Race, said. "Having said that, it is a long race so having people cheer for you the whole way can definitely help to keep our adrenaline pumping and keep us moving fast."
Aside from the excitement of the weekend, the race will give the Jumbos a golden opportunity to gauge the strength of conference rivals, as well as a chance to finally put their hard off−season work to the test. Both the men's and women's sides will look to take advantage of the early season event.
The Head of the Charles is the third event for both Tufts squads this season. Both teams opened their season on Oct. 2 with the Textile River Regatta, where the men's team placed fifth out of 14 and the women took an impressive first place out of five. On Oct. 15, both teams had mediocre races at the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta in Worchester, Mass. The men placed 13th out of 20 teams and the women finished 17th in a field of 36.
"We're not thrilled about the way we performed in the first two events," McConnell said. "But we've worked on a few different things and improved our technique and we're extremely confident heading into this weekend."
Both teams have gone to great lengths to prepare for this weekend's race. The Head of the Charles is a difficult course in part because of its length. The teams have practiced on the Mystic River multiple times over the past few weeks to improve endurance, setting a course that offers a similar distance to what they will see at the Charles. In addition to working on technique and mixing and matching with different lineups, the men's team has intensified its training days with longer distances as well as short, sporadic pieces.
The women's squad has also been switching up its lineup in hopes of finding a winning combination.
"We've tried a bunch of different people in different spots and tried to get a sense for what lineup works the best," Parisi said. "You have to take into account height, weight and which rowing pairs work best. I think we've reached a point where we feel comfortable and confident with the lineup we're sending out there."
Fans coming out to watch Saturday's Four race will see an experienced men's lineup. A boat of five sophomores will race in the Collegiate Fours event, with Carter Palmer on stroke, Andrew Rogers in the third seat, Timothy Peng in second, Luke Abdow in the bow seat and Jessie Howard as coxswain. Sunday's Eights team boasts a bit more experience, consisting of sophomore Jeremy Rosenblatt as coxswain, junior Kyle Flood on stroke, junior William Hickey in seven, sophomore Denis Richard in six, sophomore Ian McConnell in five, senior Chris Park in four, sophomore Jeffrey Thibodeau in three, senior Michael Bai in two and sophomore Nathan Yuen in the bow seat.
"Our guys have been together awhile now," McConnell said. "We have a great chemistry and good rhythm with each other."
The women's team will be participating in the Collegiate Eights and the Lightweight Eights. The Collegiate Eights team consists of senior Gillian Hodes as coxswain, senior Maggie Debski on stroke, sophomore Caroline Ricard in seven, senior Lily Carey in six, sophomore Rebecca Perrin in five, junior Katie Fitzgerald in four, senior Kara Breen in three, sophomore Ginny Trumbull in two and senior Georgia Gunner in the bow seat. The Lightweight Eights team fields junior Sara Honickman as coxswain, senior Erika Parisi on stroke, sophomore Hanna Buechi in seven, freshman Isabella Stelle in six, senior Miriam Gutman in five, senior Hannah Will in four, freshman Brett Mele in three, sophomore Rachael Filer in two and freshman Sonia Chokshi in the bow seat.
"We feel really good right now," Parisi said. "Our boats have been moving really well in practice the past couple of days and we know what we're capable of this weekend."
The men's Collegiate Fours is scheduled to begin at 5:32 p.m. on Saturday, while the eights race will commence at 5:28 p.m. on Sunday. The women's Collegiate Eights is set to begin at 5:46 p.m. on Sunday, while the Lightweight Eights race is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Sunday.
