Recent history bodes well for the Crimson, with last year’s crew being the first interscholastic boat to finish in the championship eight event. They finished fourth amongst all competitors, crossing the line less than a second after the USRowing crew.

And though the vendors still sell their storied fried dough, the course remains identical, and the coach on the launch carries the same legendary status, this boat is far from what it was. The senior-laden crew of 2004 remained largely intact after the 2003 national championship season, making this seemingly new beginning all the more difficult.

But if you’ve got to start over, you might as well bring some hardware with you.

“I think [being the underdog] is somewhat more normal and refreshing. And despite losing a very strong class, we still have a good squad with a lot of potential,” said Parker.

Indeed. The returning oarsmen from last year’s second varsity and first freshman boats are hardly forgettable. All 16 come into October after second-place finishes at the national championships last spring. In addition to returning lettermen, Washington transfer and sophomore Brodie Buckland will certainly help carry the load for the Crimson. Though this is his first season in Crimson, Buckland is all too familiar with Harvard’s recent success. The Olympia, Wash. native stroked the UW boat that took second to Harvard at last year’s IRAs.

Still, talk of championships and boat pairings will wait until the spring, long after the last tent is collapsed on the riverside this weekend. The Head of the Charles might be the talk of the fall rowing season, but words like Eastern Sprints and IRAs are the true gauge of rowing excellence.

“The Charles is a great opportunity to get the adrenaline pumping again, and remember what it feels like to race,” said Holzapfel. “It’s really just a time to have fun and stretch our legs a little.”

That said, the Head of the Charles carries with it a certain preeminence—one which this Harvard crew will have a hard time forgetting about on the starting line this Saturday.

“The Head of the Charles is our race on our river and everybody else is just guests that weekend,” said three-seat William Ulrich, who moves up after a year on the second varsity.

The guests will number around 500,000, some of whom are new to rowing and will scan the riverside for the nearest vendor.

Other, however, know the story of the Harvard heavyweights and the legendary Harry Parker, and they’ll rely on their binoculars to see if this group can walk the walk again.

And that walk, as it always has and almost surely always will, begins in the hallowed hall of Newell boathouse as early as October.