Chilly conditions but fast times at the Head of the Charles

And it is where over 8,000 rowers take to the Charles River rowing the winding 5km course.

A cool, breezy but sunny opening day of the two-day regatta was highlighted by eight course records being broken. This was despite choppy water at the start of the race and cold northerly winds. Some lightweight rowers seemed to suffer in the cool weather with pogies (rowing mittens) becoming a necessity.

The most notable new record was in the championship women’s double. Two Beijing Olympians, one from the single, one from the pair, teamed up to break the record by more than four seconds. Emma Twigg and Juliette Haigh of New Zealand now hold the record.

Six other women’s events now have new records including the over-50 women’s single, the club women’s four and club women’s eight, the over-40 women’s double and over-40 women’s four and the collegiate women’s eight. The collegiate men’s four was the one men’s event to receive a new record.

Two more records were broken on the second day, both by rowers breaking their own record. Richard Kendall broke his previous course record in the men’s over-70 single and Brooke Stevens reset the mark in the women’s over-60 single.

The wind at the start line on the second day nearly caused race officials to opt for the shorter course. Instead the officials chose to turn boats around just past the start line and send them off (one by one) as soon as possible. Race volunteer Kirk Bargerhuff noted that by the time boats reached the finish line they often had collected enough water in the boat to warrant dumping it out before rowing back to their respective boat houses or boat park.

In the premier event, the championship men’s single, Olympic bronze medallist and regular Head of the Charles competitor, Mahe Drysdale (NZL) found himself behind fellow New Zealander Nathan Cohen. Cohen, at his second Head of the Charles, won the event with an eight second lead over second-placed American Michael Sivigny. Drysdale finished sixth.

Canada’s Olympic women’s eight (fourth in Beijing) won the championship women’s eight. Rower Darcy Marquardt told Rowing Canada, "The chemistry we had as a crew all summer was felt today and (coxswain) Lesley (Thompson-Willie) steered an incredible course. It was very exciting." In second, Nereus, from the Netherlands included half of the crew that finished second at Beijing.

The University of Washington earned a huge boost to the start of their racing season. They finished first in the championship men’s eight beating out France in second with Molesey Boat Club from Great Britain in fifth. The Molesey crew included Olympic Champion from the four, Andy Hodge, and the cox of the Beijing Olympic silver medal British eight – Acer Nethercott – as well as four young men aiming for GB Senior selection (Scott Rennie, Henry Ellender, James Foad, Mohamed Sbihi).

A second generation Head of the Charles rower, Gevvie Stone was the surprise winner of the championship women’s single. Local rower Stone beat former US national team member Liane Malcos (second) and Brett Sickler (third). Stone’s father Gregg had won the championship men’s single three decades age.

Winners of the championship men’s double, Andrew Liverman and Peter Graves only came together at the eleventh hour. Graves was originally planning to row with his brother, but an accident put an end to the combination and Liverman was asked to fill in. The duo finished just one second ahead of US national team members Sam Stitt and Sloan Duross with Beijing Olympians (for the US men’s double), Elliot Hovey and Wes Piermarini finishing third.

For more information: www.hocr.org