In addition to intense battles for positioning, the Head of the Charles is known for the range of rowing talent that it draws each year. International and Olympic crews as well as teams from Oxford and Cambridge compete out of Harvard’s Newell Boathouse. This brings a new sense of excitement to the regatta, one that the Dempseys did not get to experience in high school.

What has remained the same, however, is the beauty of the course. While both brothers admit to having a soft spot for the rural splendor of Dartmouth’s Connecticut River, they agree that in the realm of city rowing, the Charles River is unparalleled.

“You come out and go through all the Harvard houses, and then you’re out in the basin and next to the Boston skyline,” Andre said. “Then you go downstream and you’re in the trees by the waterfront. There’s a lot of variation as you head toward the heart of the city.”

While many rowers only get to experience this beauty once each year when they come to Cambridge for the Head of the Charles, the Dempsey brothers are lucky to have this scenery as the backdrop to the majority of their rowing experiences. This weekend, they will hit the Charles yet again, racing down its familiar bends and turns in front of classmates, friends, and family. And this home advantage is a benefit that they will not take lightly.

“We’re on our home course,” Andre said. “It’s both an advantage and a responsibility to defend the Charles against other teams.”

—Staff writer Leena Ambady can be reached at leena.ambady@thecrimson.com.