Crew racing on the Charles, bridge by bridge

In a Head-style crew race, boats start at staggered times; it is the goal of the crew to pass boats ahead of it and to hold off challenges from behind. It is a race for time, and unlike the direct competition of springtime sprints, it is often hard to gauge just how well one's own boat is doing relative to others. Endurance and good steering are of the essence in these brisk fall races.

The three-mile-long Head of the Charles Regatta, held last weekend in Boston, is famous for its large crowds, huge number of competitors, and hairy turns. Club-level racing finished on Sat., Oct. 17, and most Yale crews raced on Sun., Oct. 18.

The BU Bridge. This is where it begins. For the 34th annual Head of the Charles race, Sunday dawns crisp and clear, slightly breezy but altogether a sunny, gorgeous fall day--as the Eton Boating Song puts it, "Jolly boating weather." It almost eradicates the memory of the 32nd Head, when racing was canceled because Boston was hit with heavy rains and flash-flooding. Sleek shells practice downstream of Boston University's boathouse, which serves as the starting line, then sit at the ready, bobbing gently in the Basin like so many carbon-fiber water striders with multi-colored oars for legs. The rowers face downstream; they will not see the starting line until they have passed it. They await their commands. "Yale--on the paddle--build to full," the official says.

OK, guys, here we go...20 at full, the coxswain says. Boat after boat heads for the tall BU Bridge and the race has begun.

The double bridges. Settle and lengthen into a rhythm here. Let's try to pass some boats. Next, the Charles River curves around Magazine Beach, where thousands of competitors rig and launch their own boats. Cheers rise from the crowds on the banks and on the River Street Bridge. According to Stephen Cheng, JE '01, who coxed the varsity lightweight eight, "These are things you notice before and after the race." "Powerhouse Stretch is a good place to just gun it," lightweight rower David Brown, SM '01, said. Several competitors reported that the water was relatively flat in this area, a respite from the chop and waves of the vast Basin. The third bridge, Western Ave., is approximately one mile down. Two more miles to go.

Weeks Bridge. Anyone who has competed in the Head will recall the Weeks turn, and anyone who has watched it will doubtless remember some classic collisions. It's all in the approach, and it's all up to starboard side. Time to take the turn--starboards, hit it hard and pull us around. With extra effort, the four oars to the coxswain's right crank the boat to the left, into a straight shot through the next bridge.

Anderson Bridge. Sit tall, stay sharp, look good. Between the grand boathouses of Harvard and Radcliffe, the Crimson loyal urge on their eight, which started right behind Yale. "I always like going into hostile territory where the fans aren't necessarily yours. I love away races," lightweight head coach Andy Card declared. "It was great to look strong there," Brown remembered. "You hear noise from the banks, but you're focusing on moving away from the boats behind you and on catching up to the boats in front." But since Yale started behind the Canadian and American national teams, there was no hope of catching either crew, and the team could think only of staving off other boats. "There was motivation in that there were two Yale guys [1997 lightweight captain Eric DenBesten, MC '97, and Andrea Trento, JE '98] in that [American] boat," Cheng said. "For Andrea, it's a go from being a pure novice...to a silver-medal winning eight at Worlds. That's something that should inspire every novice," Card said. Of David Sanderson, TD '98, who won the lightweight single event, he said, "It is a tribute to his determination." Ty Johnson, BR '00, placed 14th in the same event. "Ty is learning. It was an eye-opener for him," Card commented.

Eliot Bridge. Most Yale fans congregate around the Belmont Hill-Winsor boathouse by the Eliot Bridge. Among the spectators was 1996 women's captain Amy Winkelstein, PC '96, MED '00, who said, "It's an exciting atmosphere, sitting on the bridge and not knowing which bow number is going to come out first. I was absolutely nostalgic, but it was nice to not worry about steering. The eights get that adrenaline rush coming through the bridge and take off."

Brown agreed, "I notice the bridges. You go to Eliot and hear cheering from the Yale camp. It psyches you up and gets you ready to finish the last 700 meters."

This year, Yale's young boat, with only two returnees from previous varsity boats, finished fifth with a time of 15:10.88; Canada, U.S., Princeton, and St. Catharine's (Ontario) were the top four teams. "We need to learn more about ourselves as a crew, in how we approach a race and how we respond to pressure. I get a snapshot of how we've been working in practice," Card said.

Last turn. Keep it clean, push it out for the last 30 strokes...10 more...and pad-dle! Well-rowed, guys--check it down.

Back to Sports...