On Oct. 18 – 20, Wellesley College crew took to the water for the 59th annual Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. The team entered the river with a strong recent record, over the last few years they have had impressive success. The program earned back-to-back Division III National Championships during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. These feats made Wellesley the third school ever to win three Division III Championships. Coming off the consecutive titles, the team finished third in the NEWMAC and sixth at the National Invitational Rowing Championship last year.
The Head of the Charles Regatta is an especially important event for rowing. Every year during the penultimate weekend of October, 11,000 athletes from around the world participate in rowing head races on the Charles River. Over the course of the weekend, thousands of teams participated in 73 different races organized by different demographic, clubs and boat sizes. Wellesley crew took to the water on Sunday at 2:44 p.m. in the Women’s Collegiate Eights heat.
This year, the Blue’s first Varsity Eight took seventh at the Head of the Charles, with the time of 17:37.767. Second Varsity Eight and Third Varsity Eight placed 25th and 32nd respectively, with times of 18:39.670 and 19:14.584. Tufts University took the top spot at the regatta for the second year in a row, beating out the Blue by just 35 seconds, as reported on the Head of the Charles Regatta website.
The Wellesley Crew program was founded in 1973 by Barbara Jordan and has since racked up an impressive collection of trophies and accolades. They found early success and took home their first NEWMAC championship in 2003, under coach Joan O’Hara. Since 2010, the rowing squad has maintained top five national ranking across NCAA Division III. Over the years they have earned 11 NEWMAC Championships and made 12 NCAA Championship Appearances. The Blue Crew have produced seven NEWMAC Rowers of the Year, five NEWMAC Coxswains of the Year and their current head coach Tessa Spilane is a nine-times NEWMAC Coach of the Year.
Dating back to 1965, the regatta was started by Cambridge Boat Club members D’Arcy MacMahon, Howard McIntyre and Jack Vincent in 1965 to break up the rigor of offseason crew training and provide athletes with a fall race. The first Head of the Charles was just one day, with around 100 Men’s Four crews according to the Head of the Charles Regatta website. It has since grown to its current 3-day format, drawing over 2,200 teams. NCAA programs across the Northeast compete in the race as part of their off-season training as they prepare for the spring.
Over the weekend, around 400,000 spectators attended the Head of the Charles Regatta, making it the world’s largest multi-day rowing event. Viewers can watch the races from The DeWolfe boathouse at Boston University where the 3-mile race begins. Other venues along the course include the River Street Bridge, Western Avenue Bridge, Weeks Footbridge, Anderson Bridge or even the Elliot Bridge – which offers exclusive VIP tickets for spectating by the finish line. With these options and more, the race is easily accessible to the extensive amount of spectators.
This world-famous regatta is highly anticipated as an important piece of Boston’s rich sports scene. Whether you are an avid rowing fan, sporting school spirit, or are looking for an excuse to soak up Bostons’ early Autumn weather, each year the Head of the Charles offers a unique opportunity to attend a world-famous event just a bus ride away, and support Wellesley College crew.
Contact the editors responsible for this story: Julee Sharma, Katie McCabe
