“I’m really looking forward to it,” Clarke says. “So many people come to watch, and it’s a different type of race. It’ll be good to be racing some other top universities.”
The Head of the Charles races are also “head” events, meaning that teams are timed individually and do not compete side by side. This is unusual in Clarke’s home country, which hosts more head-to-head competitions.
For Kennedy and Farrar, residents of East Greenwich, R.I. and Pittsford, N.Y. respectively, the Charles is memorable because of its familiarity. Both have raced at the Head of the Charles in the past. As at Worlds, they will be in the same boat as part of the varsity eight.
“We come up here a fair amount to race, but to have it be your home turf is just really cool,” Kennedy says. “It’s also going to be a much faster race than I’m used to, being in an eight. I think it’s going to be magical.”
Farrar thinks that the anticipation for the Head of the Charles builds up week by week. That excitement has only amplified now that she’s on the host team.
“It’s such a great thing to finally be on the host side,” Farrar says. She pauses, and laughs. “It’s like Christmas.”