Head of the Charles RECAP

So the Head of the Charles (HOCR) is everything and nothing for an aspiring elite rower.  It is nothing in the sense that it is inconsequential in relation to our national team selection process.  It is everything in that it is probably the highest profile domestic regatta we have.  As Jamie’s previous post pointed out, it can be a very happy time for rowers.  Being such a large regatta, it winds up being a see and be seen event where you can’t travel very far without crossing paths with another friend from within the cult we’ve grown to love called rowing.

The Charles is a challenging course and a race where almost anything can happen.  Personally, I’ve had a lot of luck in the past decade of racing there in various boats, but did not fair so fortunate this time around.  That being said, as a whole, the GRP squad did a great job at the race with a ton of people racing the single in this challenging regatta for the first time.

Here is a comprehensive list of our teams entries:

Grand-Masters Womens SingleLynn Jennings

Championship Mens SingleBen DannJohn GravesSteve Whelpley

Championship Womens SingleJamie ChapmanEmily DreissigackerMaggie FellowsLaura Larsen-StreckerElizabeth Sonshine

Lightweight Mens SinglePhil GrisdelaPhil HensonKyle LaffertyHugh McAdam

Lightweight Womens EightSarah Keller (in the Vesper Entry)

Championship Mens Four w/ CoxPeter Graves (in the USRowing Entry)

Alumni Womens Eight w/ CoxKeziah Beall (in the UVA Alum Entry)

To see how everyone did in their respective events, just click here.  In the end, it was a solid weekend.  Racers on Saturday were luckier than those on Sunday in terms of wind, but the whole weekend was about as good as Charles weather can get!

Now, to top it off, here’s some quick soundbites from each of us on the weekend:

Phil Grisdela – The Charles is always a fun race, even when there’s a ripping headwind in some parts of the course others can be completely flat and all the turns keep you on your toes. We knew it was going to be a bit of a rodeo going in with those conditions so the trick was to be flexible and concentrate on bringing speed even when the boat is a bit rocky. 

Emily Dreissigacker – I felt like I did a good job of keeping my focus within my own boat, but I think I almost paced myself too much. I wish I had gone after it a little more a little sooner.

Hugh McAdam – Despite the strong head wind on Sunday, my race went very well. I handled the wind and conditions well, and though the result isn’t exactly what I was hoping for, I’m happy with the result and look forward to improving upon it next year.

Kyle Lafferty – Racing at the Charles is always fun. It was a fun event and a good precursor to our next race in Princeton in a couple weeks.

Elizabeth Sonshine – I had a great time coming down the charles for the first time in a single. Luckily, my race was relatively uneventful and I’m excited to have the opportunity to return next year with a better bow number! 

Lynn Jennings – Fitness, strength and speed are not enough at HOCR – steering and mental execution matter!  I’ll be back next year to mix it up!

John Graves – Solid piece with decent steering, happy about the way I competed, but a little bummed to not have squeezed a few seconds out of it to be ahead of Mahe. 

Peter Graves – We rowed hard but  came up 0.18 seconds short of 1st place in the champ 4.  Should have had another helping of Brussels spouts the night before, which was ultimately the difference.  The gentlemen farmers from Wisconsin really brought their A game.

Ben Dann – This being my first time racing in the Champ Single at HOCR, I really enjoyed the thrill of being in the driver’s seat.  There is no other course or event  that presents a sculler with the same test of speed and mental acuity.  It is the formula 1 race of rowing. 

Keziah Beall – It was both fun and challenging to get back into an 8+ and sweep for the first time in a while, and it was a great race that was not won easily. My favorite part of the HOCR, however, is always the energy that surrounds the event, because of the thousands of people that are all there to represent, to race, and to celebrate.

Maggie Fellows – It was very exciting to be in a race with so many big names!  My race was not quite as successful as I would have hoped, but I can’t wait for next year to give it another shot.  It was definitely a great learning experience and an inspiration to row with some of the fastest female single scullers in the world.

Phil Henson – The racing at HOCR can be unpredictable and things may not always work out in your favor, but every time it is a lot of fun. Congrats to all the other GRP racers, especially first timers! 

Jamie Chapman – First sculling races at HOCR!  At times during the 1x race I focused too much on pulling and not enough on steering, but it was incredibly cool to line up alongside some of the world’s best.  Sunday morning I raced in a throw-together Director’s Challenge 4x of Dartmouth alumnae and found a fast and fun rhythm to cap off some great racing at HOCR this year.

Steve Whelpley – The point is moot, but no comment.