Crew Gets Set for Season's Biggest Event

Autumn leaves on the ground. A myriad of boats slicing through pristine water. A massive influx of visitors from far and wide. Lockdown of Harvard Yard. Fried dough by the ton.

It can only mean one thing: The Head of the Charles is upon us yet again.

This Saturday and Sunday, thousands of athletes and spectators from all over the world will gather along the banks of the Charles River to take in the 36th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta.

Last year, well over 300,000 spectators watched approximately 5,000 athletes compete in 19 events over the two-day regatta. With such numbers, the Head of the Charles is now considered the largest two-day rowing event in the world.

"Every year, this regatta becomes bigger and more international," said Harvard women's lightweight Coach Cecile Tucker.

The primary reason so many people turn out along the Charles is to witness the procession of boats from all over the world along the three-mile course that winds its way from the Boston University boathouse to just before the Northeastern boathouse.

The bulk of the competition will occur on Sunday, with the men's and women's heavyweight and lightweight crews racing in the afternoon.

For the Harvard men's heavyweight crew, its race will provide a good indication as to what steps it will need to take to remain competitive.

"All the crews we race in the spring season will be there and so this race will tell us how well we need to do," said senior Luka Djunic. "Since Brown won Eastern Sprints last year, it is the team to beat."

The Harvard men's lightweight boats will also be looking to capitalize on the opportunity to improve in early season action.

"Traditionally, we've tended to start slower in the year and build up, but we'll be looking for a strong start this weekend," said co-captain Richie McCormack. "It will also be fun in front of those crowds and on our home course."

The same theme of improvement and assessment is apparent on for the women. The Head of the Charles will be the first race of the season for the Radcliffe lightweights.

"[The Regatta] comes quite early in our season, but it's a great opportunity to take a measure of where our team is," said Tucker.

The Radcliffe heavyweight crew, along with both men's crews, won the Stonehurst Regatta in Rochester, NY last weekend. Its task this weekend will be to continue the momentum of its early season triumph.

The races on Sunday afternoon will be exciting, but there are almost as many distractions on shore as there are in the water.

In addition to the impressive displays of rowing ability, spectators are also drawn to the regatta by a wide assortment of food vendors and corporate-sponsored tents and activities. This year, Charles Schwab, EDS, Sprint, and Polo Sport, are some of the companies who will help finance this once-a-year crew extravaganza.

"It definitely has a festival-like atmosphere," said Harvard lightweight Coach Charles Butt. Butt competed in the race 20 years ago and is looking forward to his 15th Head of the Charles as a coach.

The sheer size of the crowds that contribute to this atmosphere can be both a benefit and a detriment to the Harvard community. For some, it is a welcome change.

"In comparison with the typically tame atmosphere on campus, the chaos of the Head of the Charles provides a refreshing bustle of activity and excitement," said Neil Shah '03. "It's clearly one of the most invigorating weekends of the year."

However, with all of the excitement and commotion caused by throngs of crew-crazy enthusiasts, security is a central concern. This year, as in years before, the Yard will be in lockdown and will only be accessible to those carrying a Harvard ID and immediate guests of ID holders. This precaution is typically met with resentment, especially among first-years.

"Last year, I felt like a prisoner in my own home," said Mike Bookman '03.

Despite this inconvenience, though, this coming weekend will afford many undergraduates a nice time to enjoy themselves blissfully before the crunch of midterms and the advent of tortuously cold weather.

"It's going to be a blast," said David J. Ganitsky '03. "It's great to get a chance to just eat, relax, and be outdoors."

The weather forecast for this weekend is sunny with a temperature in the mid-60s. It promises to be perfect weather for a perennially memorable event.