Don Bosco Prep
2011 Head of the Charles Regatta Recap
History:
The Head Of The Charles Regatta®, the world’s largest two-day rowing event, was first held on October 16, 1965. The race was established by the Cambridge Boat Club under the advice of famed Harvard University sculling instructor Ernest Arlett, who proposed that a “head of the river” race — similar to races held in his native England– be held on the Charles River. “Head” races are generally three miles long, with boats racing against each other and the clock, starting sequentially approximately fifteen seconds apart. Winners receive the honorary title of “Head of the River”– in this case, “Head Of The Charles.”
Head of the Charles HQ
Over the past 46 years, the Head of the Charles regatta (HOCR) has grown impressively. Today, more than 8,000 athletes from around the world compete in 55 different race events. The HOCR became a two-day event in 1997 and now attracts up to 300,000 spectators during the October weekend.
To manage the event, a Race Committee meets year-round to oversee the operational and logistical details of the event, with assistance from 80 volunteers on 30 committees. A professional staff works to obtain sponsorships, communicate with the rowing community, and plan the event. Support from numerous boat clubs, colleges and universities, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and over 1,400 hardworking volunteers is required to run the world’s largest two-day regatta.
To put it mildly, the Head of the Charles is a major rowing event.
This year, DBP Head Coach Felix DeCarvalho decided that the time was right to have DBP compete. It’s not a simple matter of registering. Competitors must apply and are not assured of entry, with one exception: if a team finishes in the top 50% of competitors in their race category, they are automatically guaranteed a spot in that same category the following year. DBP did not have this advantage going in to the 2011 race.
Friday Afternoon
Of the three boats submitted, the entry that was approved was the team’s Lightweight 4+, with the following line-up: Senior Scott Menken at stroke, Senior Dan Pallotta, Sophomore Conor Neville, Senior Chris Russo at bow, and Sophomore Mike Cleary at cox.
Unfortunately an injury kept Menken from competing, and Senior Dan Cleary met the challenge. The team had to quickly get used to a changed line-up when Russo was moved to stroke, followed by Neville, Pallotta and Dan Cleary at bow.
DBP’s race category included competitors from 19 states, 5 provinces of Canada, and two entries from the UK, 77 in all. As the category is based on age (high school) rather than weight, our lightweight (under 155 lbs. individually) boat was up against heavyweights as well.
Conditions were favorable on race day, with very little wind, clear skies and a relatively calm Charles.
Powering after Eliot Bridge
DBP was assigned bow number 64. After a warm-up circle, they started rowing at about ¾ pressure. In a Head race, as in time trials, boats get a running start versus a cold start. Our team’s momentum was interrupted by another competitor crossing the course and causing them to have to hold up just as they were approaching the start line.
Coxswain Cleary did a great job getting competitor boats to yield; they held off a heavyweight boat that kept calling “powers” and trying to pass. Cleary called powers after all of the turns. Rhythm, set and catch times all felt good. Turns were taken neatly. In the final (roughly ½ mile) stretch, Cleary called for the sprint to the finish.
Final time of 18:20.19 meant the team had achieved a 36th place finish– and even more impressive, had garnered no penalties. That last is particularly difficult to achieve, given that the team had only one opportunity to experience the race course itself, in a practice run on Friday.
Sunday afternoon - post race
For perspective, the first-place finisher, Sarasota Crew, put up a time of 16:45.06. The last place team rowed the course in 20:50.29, but accrued total penalties of 1:10 as well.
More perspective on the competition: many of the top competitors in this Youth Men’s Four category hail from programs which are significantly larger and/or better-funded than our own. For example, winner Sarasota Crew were Florida State Champions in 2011;in the past 4 years this program has prepared and sent 27 athletes to the Junior National Team Development system and 6 to compete at the Junior World Rowing Championships. Their program includes over 100 rowers and a fleet of more than 25 shells and launches.
All in all, participation in the HOCR delivered a satisfying outcome for a hard-working Don Bosco team.
As it turned out, the Head of the Charles was the last race of the fall season; the team opted out of the Philadelphia-based Head of the Schuylkill due to the October snowstorm.
–submitted by Liz Neville, 11/11
