The crew club once again made our fall trip to Boston for the Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest rowing event in the world. The varsity 8+ competed in the Club Eight event on Saturday, October 23 on the Charles River.
The Head of the Charles is widely considered to be one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging race course in rowing. Crossing under six bridges and winding through numerous turns past thousands of spectators, it is a test of not only the strength and stamina of the competing rowers, but also of the decisiveness and skill of the coxswain. Starting in the choppy waters at the mouth of the river near downtown Boston, the race finishes on a significantly narrower course 3.2 miles upriver. The Mason varsity 8+ started 13th in the race based on last year's results. For all the obstacles of the course and a driving head wind, the race was without drama for our boat. The boat crossed the finish line with a time of 16:46.026 and a place of 20th out of 42 crews. Finishing in the top half of the field means a guaranteed entry in next year's regatta, which means that the Mason Crew Club will have the privilege of competing in this event once again in 2011.
In addition to the varsity 8+ on Saturday, Bob Spousta, our coach, competed in the veteran singles [60+] event on Sunday morning, October 24, and finished 6th out of 46 scullers with an adjusted time of 19:53.440.
Information about this year's and next year's regatta can be found at the regatta website at hocr.org. Race photos will be forthcoming courtesy of sportgraphics.com. Congratulations to the Mason varsity 8+ on rowing a solid race and securing an entry for next year and to Bob Spousta for his (as always) excellent showing at this year's Charles!
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