About 100 Harvard and Radcliffe rowers prepared for yesterday's Head of the Charles races by feasting on California Pizza Kitchen pizza and pasta at the second annual Carbo-loading Party Saturday night.

"It's really nice to get free food," said Jennifer E. Sessions '96. "It's especially nice that it's not from the dining halls."

The California-based pizza restaurant located on Eliot St. near JFK St. supplied the rowers with 60 pizzas, 75 portions of pasta and 75 servings of salad in order to fuel the teams for yesterday's regatta.

"It's really fun! You get to be with your team the night before," said Kate Tomford '99. "[But] it's really more important to drink water than eat a lot," she cautioned.

The Carbo-loading Party at Weld Boathouse was started last year in an effort to help spread the California Pizza Kitchen name while giving back to the Harvard and Radcliffe community, according to Kara Martel, a company representative.

The huge success last year encouraged the restaurant chain to continue the carbo-loading as an annual accompaniment to the regatta.

"It's part of the regatta," Martel said. "We love doing it, and the Harvard crew love having us do it. We want to do this every year."

The crew rowers and coxswains in attendance were excited and enthusiastic about the carbo-loading and the regatta.

Cary W. Donaldson '96, another member of women's crew, said, "It's great. It's so nice of [California Pizza Kitchen] to do, and the food is really good."

Friday was the final day of preparation for the teams before yesterday's regatta, which attracted college rowing teams and students from all over the East Coast as well as thousands of fans.

"In order to help the team bond, we all bought some hats for tomorrow's race." Donaldson said. "We took a nap and rested up, so we'll be ready to row tomorrow."