HEAD OF THE CHARLES '07: Thriller on the Thames

Months after capping off an extremely successful 2007 campaign with a victory at the esteemed Henley Regatta, the Harvard heavyweight crew must confront a problem common to perennial contenders: how to continue the momentum of a successful season last spring while also balancing the fact that this is a new year and a new boat.

This weekend’s Head of the Charles Regatta epitomizes that intersection of past and present. Boat seatings will be primarily based on last year’s performances but will provide a glimpse of what to expect in the upcoming season. That season formally begins only after the Harvard heavyweights emerge from Newell Boathouse at the end of another long winter.

For the seniors and juniors that remain from last year’s Henley-winning crew, the 2007 season is an example they would do well to follow.

After honoring the almost annual tradition of dominating opponents during the dual-meet portion of the season—Harvard defeated the likes of Brown, Navy, and Princeton—the Crimson swept into Eastern Sprints carrying an undefeated 6-0 dual record and high expectations. Although the strength of the Yale varsity heavyweights, whom Harvard had not yet faced, remained uncertain, the Crimson jumped out to an early lead over the Bulldogs and never looked back, leading the pack from wire to wire. Bolstered by strong tail winds, Harvard set a new course record and took home the Sprints varsity title for the fourth time in five years.

“[Sprints was] a pretty big deal,” said captain and varsity three-seat Joe Medioli. “It was quite exhilarating, a phenomenal race. We had four seniors who really wanted it and had won it all before leading us. That was our ticket to Henley in the summer, and gave us some good confidence heading into IRAs.”

The Crimson would need that confidence, as the field at the IRA Championships—the national championship regatta—was one of the deepest in recent history. In addition to the EARC competition Harvard races during the dual season, several Pac-10 crews—such as Washington, California, and Stanford—also boasted powerful lineups at the 2007 IRAs.

After Washington and Brown jumped out to an early lead, Harvard pulled even with the Bears and battled with the Huskies for the middle 1,000 meters. With only 500 meters left, Stanford made a move to draw even with the Crimson, and the two boats finished in a dead heat for second. Washington crossed the finish line less than a second ahead of both crews to snag its first title since 1997.

Combined with Harvard’s strong performances in the second and third varsities and freshman boats, the Crimson finished second behind the Huskies in the team rankings. Washington’s undefeated varsity that took home gold at IRAs boasted five members of Canada’s Under-22 National Team.

“That was one of those races where we didn’t actually win, but we raced hard and were proud of what we had done,” Medioli said. “The quality of racing, especially compared to the year before, was such a contrast.”

“It was a disappointment coming in second,” added junior Simon Gawlik, who rowed in the two-seat of the heavyweight varsity eight last year. “But being so close to the guys who had done so well internationally was pretty good.”

The Crimson varsity then took its act to the annual Harvard-Yale Regatta, the oldest intercollegiate sporting event and one that Harvard has dominated in recent years. The Crimson suffered an unexpected challenge when an oarsman fainted midway through the race. The Bulldogs then rallied to overtake the Harvard eight in the last 10 strokes and recorded a half-second victory—the closest finish in the four-mile race since 1914.

Although the season traditionally ends after the Harvard-Yale Regatta, two Harvard boats—an eight and a four—continued to train for the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, England. The race, which has been held every year since 1839—except during the two World Wars—is steeped in history and attracts crews from all over the world.

After charging through the heats and semifinal—beating Brown by a boat length along the way for good measure—the Crimson eight dominated a composite boat of rowers from Moseley BC and the New York Athletic Club in the final. Harvard scorched the opposing eight in a boat-length victory that secured the Crimson’s first Ladies Challenge Plate since 2002. Harvard has won the Plate six times in school history and won at Henley a total of 16 times in different races.

“If anything, Harvard-Yale was a motivating factor for us [at Henley],” Medioli said. “The fact that we won as well as we did, and won by the margins we did, was quite outstanding on everyone’s part. It’s the only race I’ve ever been in with the spectators like it has—it’s like Head of the Charles, but another magnitude.”

Although the Crimson four lost in the semifinal of the Visitors’ Cup to Leander, it galvanized the eight—and the crowds—with an exhilarating performance in the quarterfinals. After multiple lead changes throughout the race, Harvard was awarded the photo-finish victory over a composite Henley-Thames Boat Club entry. In addition to the outstanding performances, Henley also offered a chance for many of the Crimson rowers who hail from Europe to have their families watch them in a collegiate race for the first time.

“That race in particular was great inspiration for the eight,” Toby Medaris ’07 said after last June’s win. “Seeing the effort and unrelenting determination of our four teammates was incredibly uplifting.”

After the triumphs of the spring season, the Crimson crews return to the Charles this fall to renew the annual quest for a national championship and to determine the character of its boats this year. Four seniors have graduated, and numerous sophomores and juniors will clamor to fill their vacated seats. While every year provides a blank slate, the excitement and experience that Harvard gained at Henley and other major regattas can only help the Crimson.

“Every year is a new team,” Medioli said. “There’s a different attitude, and new guys. But as a tradition, we have a tradition of rowing very well, and that’s a large part of our motivation.”

Despite the evolving makeup of the 2008 heavyweights, other teams should be wary of taking them lightly.

“I think our momentum will be a surprise,” Gawlik said. “Especially since we graduated four people, maybe some people will underestimate us. But with our program, and the depth we have, that’s a risky proposition.”

—Staff writer Julie R. S. Fogarty can be reached at fogarty2@fas.harvard.edu.