Crew teams improve at Head of the Charles; Men finish 6th

The men’s and women’s crew teams spent this past weekend on the Charles River in Boston, cutting up that Dirty Water in an impressive showing at the prestigious Head of the Charles (HOTC) Regatta.

In the Collegiate 8 race, the men’s team finished an outstanding sixth out of a total of 38 boats, crossing the finish line at 15:31.6, just 20 seconds behind first place finisher, Williams. The women’s boat also had a strong race, finishing 16th out of a field of 34. Their original time of 18:13.8 would have put them into 12th place, but a 10 second penalty cost them the precious four seeds.

Held every year in late October, the HOTC was founded in 1965 in an attempt to bring the English racing tradition overseas. Featuring more than 7,500 athletes competing in around 50 different events, the Regatta is the world’s largest two-day race.

Looking to defend a strong showing in last year’s HOTC, the Cardinal crew teams performed extremely well, making strong personal improvements and posting generally impressive results.

“After last year’s strong finish at the HOTC, there was a lot of pressure on us to defend our position, and that was reflected in the intensity of the racing,” said Ben Roberts ’09.

Battling tough conditions, the Cards were forced to show their gritty side.

“The wind and water made it hard for most crews to be technically strong,” said Gaël Hegen ’09. “It became a race that was dominated by the will to row as hard as possible.”

As crew is the ultimate team sport, Hegen was quick to commend the efforts of everyone who raced.

“We raced very well at the Charles this year,” Hegen said. “We have a lot of guys who stepped up this year into the first boat and we’ve been working over the course of the fall to learn how to row well together. Those guys have done a great job earning their seats and it showed yesterday out on the course.”

Despite the Charles’ tight turns and bridges, as well as a strong headwind, the women battled through for maximum boat speed. Also training throughout the fall, the women’s team was able to adjust to the conditions and still compete at a high level.

Though the bridges made navigation difficult along the three-mile course, they also added an element that boosted the women.

“The bridges also mean there is always someone cheering for you,” said co-captain Elaine Lauriat ’09.

She complimented the novices on their support, noting how loud they were cheering from the bridges. Similarly to the men’s newcomers, the group of women’s novices this fall has grown and shown early dedication, improving drastically in just a few weeks.

None of the newcomers have had racing experience, however, former coxswain and now assistant coach Jinny Jang ’08 has them ready to compete. Overall, the Regatta was a success for the women’s crew team.

“Head of the Charles showed us how far we’ve come, but we also have a lot of hard work to do if we’re going to shake things up at New Englands this spring,” Lauriat said.

While the results were extremely important for both teams, the HOTC was also significant in that it provided a good watermark for the teams’ progress so far.

“As far as what a strong performance at the Charles means, it is a good way to see how we compare to some of the other crews we will see in the spring,” said Ross Heinemann ’09. “Although finishing so well in such a competitive event is an accomplishment in itself, it shows us what we need to do over the winter, and that we have a way to go. Also, the team has a strong senior class and a lot of experienced rowers. It is crucial that this year the leadership develops a cohesion with the younger and more inexperienced members since so much of the sport relies on unity.”

While much of the teams’ focus is on the spring, both the men’s and women’s crews look forward to capping off their fall competition at the Head of the Fish Regatta in Saratoga Springs, New York this upcoming weekend.