Walker Stops Sudduth at Head Regatta

Greg Walker of the Detroit Boat Club ended Andy Sudduth's five-year reign as men's singles champion yesterday in the 25th annual Head of the Charles Regatta.

Beaten by Sudduth by nearly 10 seconds in 1988, Walker dominated a field of 29 starters who rowed against the clock on the Charles River.

Walker was timed at 19:48.09 seconds while often rowing into a headwind on a winding upstream course of about three miles.

Yuri Janson of Estonia, the bronze medal winner in the world championships in Yugoslavia, was second at 19:49.35.

Then came Sudduth '83-'85, who was timed at 19:59.30. His winning time last year was 19:02.82.

Despite occasional sunshine and temperatures in the 50s, records were not threatened because of the wind. More than 3500 rowers competed in the regatta, billed as the world's biggest single-day rowing event.

Ann Marden, the Olympic silver medalist from nearby Concord, won the women's singles championship for the fourth year in a row.

Marden, employed in a London brokerage firm and rowing for the Thames Tradesmens Rowing Club of England, was clocked at 21:03.71, slightly behind her time of 20:46.17 last year.

Teddy Jordache of Great Britain was second in 21:45.74, with Kris Carlson of Weston third in 21:51.89.

In the youth eights women's race, Radcliffe placed first with a time of 19:51.82.

The Penn A.C., loaded with world-class rowers, won the men's championship eights for the second year in a row. Penn won in 15:34.16, followed by the Tideway Scullers of England in 15:50.87, and Nottingham County Rowing Association of England in 15:56.53.

The Boston Rowing Center won the women's eights in 17:24.46, beating Tideway Scullers, timed at 17:39.28. Defending champion Wisconsin was sixth in 18:15.76.

David Challinor, 69, of the Potomac Boat Club of Washington won the men's veteran singles for the fifth consecutive year in 23:31.03. Karin Loewy of Philadelphia repeated as women's veteran singles champion in 29:13.06.

John McGowan of the New York A.C., upset one year ago, returned and won the grand master singles for the fifth time in six years in 21:35.35. Sybil Nestor of New York's Sagamore R.C. won the women's title in 29:55.08, defeating McGowan's wife, Carol, by nearly two seconds.

Tom Elwood, the Irish novice sculls champion, won the club singles in 19:58.63. Kathy Steber of the Calgary Rowing Club won the women's division in 21:44.15.