55th Head of the Charles Regatta
CRLS Students Row in Annual Race on the Charles
November 11, 2019
From October 19th through 20th, the sun shone brightly for the 55th Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR). The world’s largest two-day regatta hosted 762 clubs and 2,263 boats from all over the globe. Three out of these 2,263 boats were from CRLS: a girls four-person, a girls eight-person, and a boys four-person. All the crews trained all of September and October to prepare for this annual race, and the participants made the most of their experience.
The girls’ four raced at 9:07 AM on Sunday, impressively placing 18th out of 85 in their category. “I think I can speak for the whole boat when I say the race was a blur but it felt really good, especially during the sprint,’’ said bow seat Alice Jacob ’20. “We met some goals we set and [coxswain] Jesse [Lowe ’20] killed the Elliot [Bridge] turn.” Overall, the team is pleased with how their first varsity four-person boat did in this year’s regatta and is looking forward to carrying this success into the spring season and beyond.
While the girls eight-person came in 69th out of 85, the team surrounded these rowers with positivity when they finished, reminding the rowers that some of the best rowers in the world compete in this regatta. Looking beyond the results of the race, the rowers felt confident in how they pulled together. Anna Von Rosenstiel ’21, the three-seat in the eight-person, described her first HOCR as “a really fun experience.” In terms of the event as a whole, she said “it was nice to see everyone come from all over the world and row together,” a sentiment shared by many CRLS rowers. The eight boat consisted of five non-senior athletes, which demonstrates the talent that will likely return to the team next year.
The final CRLS boat to compete in the regatta this year was the boys four-person. The senior lineup placed 76th out of 85 and pulled hard until the end. Team captain Levi Herron ’20 spoke about the experience, saying, “With an all-senior boat, it was awesome that we all got a chance to race in one of the biggest regattas in the world.
Everyone in the boat has been with the team for years, and it was super fun to get out there on our home course and compete in front of an amazing crowd.” Despite not getting the results they were hoping for, the rowers’ experience was, according to Herron, “a great experience for all involved.” The captain added, “I am very proud of every member of the boat for getting out there and giving it our all.’’
CRLS had mixed results at the 2019 HOCR, but the teams are embracing their performances and are prepared to use them to strengthen the program. With a whole spring season ahead and a strong young core, both the girls and boys teams are confident they can succeed in the years ahead, especially at next year’s Head of the Charles.
This piece also appears in our October 2019 print edition.
