"The largest two day regatta in the world."
That statement by captain Dan Protz '98 sums up the crew team's anticipation for this weekend's Head of the Charles event in Cambridge, MA.
The event, which was cancelled last year due to torrential downpours, is renowned just as much for its fraternity-like party atmosphere as well as its world class competition.
The Big Green rowers come into this race following a solid fourth place varsity heavyweight men's finish and a third place finish by the women rowers in Sunday's race. The men's team will send two heavyweight eights, a lightweight eight, a heavyweight four while the women will send an eight-rower boat to compete in the races that are held on both Saturday and Sunday.
Aside from all they hype, the Head of the Charles is known by rowers as "one of the most challenging races in the world".
The event is one of the two most important races in the fall season along with the Princeton Chase. With rowers from around the world and the U.S. National team competing, it is not hard to guess why the competition would be intense.
"We've been racing with the rowers from Oxford all week, and they want to win," Roy Wildeman '00, who will be racing in the Lightweight-four boat, said.
The Big Green does not enter the race expecting to beat Olympic-caliber boats.
"A victory in the Head of the Charles isn't too realistic a goal," Alex Shartsis '01 said.
"We'll be satisfied if we row well and give it 110 percent."
Heavyweight Men's coach Scott Armstrong feels that his team is as ready as they can be for this race.
"This is as prepared as we will be for a fall race, considering that the rowing season does not really begin for another six months," he said.
Despite the tradition associated with the regatta, Armstrong points out that the fall rowing schedule is basically training for the real season in the spring.
"It's like preseason football. Although the team is actively racing, the real crew season doesn't begin until spring. and nobody remembers who wins the races held in the fall," Armstrong said.
Since the Head of the Charles is a fall race, the boats will row for three miles as opposed to the 2,000 meter length of spring races. Additionally, fall races are rowed against the clock as opposed to the head-to-head races of the spring season. The boats will start approximately 15 seconds apart
In addition to the international level of competition, the race is famous as one the best college parties.
"I remember when spectators would lower six-packs (of beer) to boats as they passed under the crowded Harvard bridges," Armstrong said.
The partying, while still intense, has been somewhat diminished in recent years. Open kegs are no longer welcome along the river as the organizers seek to draw more families and Cambridge residents to the event.
Captain Dan Protz '98 still feels the "most important" part of the race is the "insane partying" that ensues when the competitors celebrate.
Dartmouth, which still sends a sizeable number of spectators, has lost a great deal of its interest in the race. This may in part be explained by a 1990 incident in which fans singing the alma mater were pelted by debris in Harvard Square during the raucous weekend.
Another factor is the increasingly family-oriented atmosphere which is not as conducive to the drunken partying that previously accompanied the event.
Despite the less flamboyant parties, the rowers and spectators who attend the Head of the Charles can still expect to find a lively social atmosphere. At the same time, the team must expect to face intense competition, especially from the national teams.
"Winning there is a highly coveted achievement throughout the sport," Protz said.
Even though they face top competition, the Big Green heads to the regatta with the aim of a strong performance and possibly a win.