Four PV rowers placed first and second at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 21. Y Quad Cities Rowing had two entries in the junior women’s double sculls. Juniors Taylor English and Delaney Evans won with a time of 20:47.99, while juniors Brenna Morley and Emma Mask came in second with a time of 21:15.59. This is the first time in the history that Y Quad Cities has come in first and second place. This is the fourth year in a row that Y Quad Cities has won this event. Assistant coach Deidrah Kennedy said, “It was great to keep the winning streak going, plus go one-two in the event. It shows the depth of our club.”
Head of the Charles happens on the river between Boston and Cambridge. There were more than 11,000 athletes participating and tens of thousands of spectators. This is the largest two-day regatta in the world, and athletes of all levels come from all over the world to race. The Head of the Charles is a head race, which means it is about 5k long. In head races, boats start at a paddle about 15 seconds apart and race down the course.
The weather on race day was less than stellar. There was a 20 mph headwind, which made rowing down the course terribly hard. Waves were splashing into boats. It was cloudy and 46 degrees. Crews were racing in tights, jackets, and earmuffs. About the conditions, English said, “Even though we train on the Mississippi, which has rough conditions sometimes, it was still hard to adjust to the tough conditions of the Charles River.”
Morley and Mask were behind the boat from California Yacht club until the last 750m. They pulled out a huge sprint to beat Cal Yacht by over five seconds. “It was amazing coming from behind to secure second place,” Mask said. “It shows that our tough training really pays off.”
The course is known as being one of the most difficult courses to steer. There are 6 bridges along the three-mile course and many curves, including an almost 180-degree turn. However, the Quad Cities handled the course like professionals.
Former PV and Y Quad Cities rowers also raced at the Charles. Elizabeth Sharis, 2015 PV graduate, rowed in the Stanford eight, where they won the women’s collegiate title. 2018 PV graduates Justin English and Caroline Sharis rowed their first college race with Georgetown and Harvard, respectively.
Y Quad Cities Rowing’s last fall race is Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Nov. third and fourth.
