It's the Boston Marathon of the rowing world, featuring rowers from across the land coming out of their shells to pull the ol' Pocock for a final fling. It's 2830 oarsfolk, almost 600 of them women, all on hand to cruise the Charles for the eleventh annual running of the Head of the Charles Regatta. The three-mile affair kicks off tomorrow morning at the crack of 10 a.m.
Attitudes toward the Head vary almost as greatly as the number of entries. "Schools who think they have a hot team take it fairly seriously," Radcliffe coach Peter Raymond said yesterday. But often the Head will be only a focus for a fall rowing program, or a reunion of old crew jocks.
Raymond, in what could be called a fraternal four, has rowed the Head four times with his three brothers. But this year he'll have to settle into the six seat in a get-together with his cohorts from the 1972 U.S. Olympic crew. "Unless we get ambitious, Sunday will be the first time we'll have rowed the course together," he said.
Aggressiveness and Discipline
Radcliffe coxswain Nancy Hadley takes a bit more serious approach to tomorrow's outing. "It takes a lot of aggressiveness and a much different mental discipline to keep going and going and going."
Diane Hickman, stroke for the topseeded Radcliffe four, added, "A lot of us rowed hard into the summer and Peter hopes we can wind down a bit, so we'll all be out to have fun but we're starting just in front of Yale so we'll still be rowing hard."
Promoter for the event, veteran sculler Jerry Olrich will be first off the line tomorrow in the staggered start race which begins just downstream of the B.U. bridge. Olrich will be out to capture his ninth veteran singles title in the last 10 years.
"This might be the year I hand over the title," he said. "In the past I've been more confident."
Competitors in Olrich's division include Harvard professors Alwin M. Pappenheimer of the Biology Department and Ephraim Isaacs from the Design School.
Passing Is Fun
In the lightweight eights class, the Crimson is sporting a strong boat that could very well row off with the laurels. Number four man in the shell, Gil Welch, feels the top spot will be tough to deal with." When you start first there's no competition to pass, and it's the passing that's half the fun."
There are other problems facing the lightweights, not least of which is the trial of shedding that excess summer baggage.
"The Friends of Harvard Rowing are holding their annual luncheon for oarsmen on Saturday afternoon," said one lightweight, "and we won't be able to eat a goddam thing. It kills me."
In the elite fours competition an "oldtimer" crew averaging almost 35 years old will be out to show the kids just how it's done. The four rowing out of the Potomac Boat Club won the Schaefer Trophy last year, edging out some strong collegiate challenges.
Forty-one-year-old Tom Charlton, a 1956 gold medal oarsmen, feels the Head is the high point of his rowing year. "To me this is the most enjoyable of them all, and I think we'll do well again this year as long as our pacemakers hold up."
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The Judge's Conclusion
