For Mary Sheridan, a 32-year-old accountant from New Jersey, getting on a five-hour bus ride every year to visit Boston in mid-October has become as customary as ‘picking up the paper every morning.’
Sheridan, who started rowing with her father when she was a baby, was one of 30,000 spectators who swarmed the banks of Charles River on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon for the first day of the 39th annual Head of the Charles Regatta, one of the most prestigious rowing competitions in the world.
‘This is my 18th year coming to the Charles for the regatta,’ said Sheridan, who was unable to compete this year because she is pregnant. ‘Still, it hasn’t lost its charm. Each year is just as special as the year before.’
Saturday marked the beginning of the two-day competition that attracted nearly 7,000 rowers from around the world, some representing schools, clubs and other organizations, and others just rowing individually. This year, 24 races were scheduled over the course of the weekend.
Hours prior to the first event, participants at Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse the starting point of the three-mile course said they could not help but be nervous and excited.
‘Head of the Charles is not like any other rowing competition,’ said Luke DuRoss of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Boat Club, who was competing in the regatta for the third consecutive year. ‘It’s a huge event, but it also brings together so many diverse groups of people from all over the country. It’s simply a lot of fun for us and the fans.’
Another participant said he was eagerly looking forward to his first shot at the three-mile course.
‘This is my first year [competing in the regatta],’ said a participant from San Diego, who declined to give his name. ‘I am loving the atmosphere. You rarely find a city that shows this much enthusiasm for the sport.’
Several competitors said they train extensively for the event.
‘Training for stamina is always important, and we also had to get used to the river,’ said Jonathan Goodrich, the coach of Lake Union Crew, a rowing club from Seattle. ‘[The] Charles is the home river for so many of the rowers here. They train here everyday.’
However, because racers compete against the clock, not each other, the key to victory may be in staying motivated throughout the three-mile course.
‘[The] Charles is not particularly difficult [to row in],’ said Patrick Cotter, a participant in the Senior Master Men’s Single. ‘But it’s a time trial. You compete against yourself, not others, which means that rowers used to competing against each other may have hard time staying motivated.’
Meanwhile, spectators, many of them sporting varsity crew jackets in support of their school team, enjoyed the moment just as much as the participants. Fans and supporters, who squeezed along the six bridges overlooking the course, chanted every time their schools, families or friends passed the checkpoint.
‘This is like a dream-come-true for fans,’ said Linda Feldman of Connecticut.
‘Seven of my good friends are competing today in eights and fours. Great weather, food and the regatta. It’s a really nice experience,’ she continued.
Although the most popular races College Eight and Champ Eight were to be raced Sunday, everybody seemed to be having a great time on the first day of the regatta.
‘I’m glad that my daughter is enjoying the event,’ Sheridan said, who was with her husband and six-year-old daughter. ‘I first came to Head of the Charles with my father, who taught me the sport. Hopefully, I can do the same for my children 10 years from now.’