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10/17/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/18/2024 07:37

BU Rowers Eager to Compete in Annual Head of the Charles Regatta

BU Rowers Eager to Compete in Annual Head of the Charles Regatta

Practicing on the Charles October 15, the BU women's rowing team, who, along with the women's lightweight team and the men's rowing teams, will compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta this weekend. Photos by BU Athletics

Varsity Sports

BU Rowers Eager to Compete in Annual Head of the Charles Regatta

Terriers will row in 12 races across the three-day event

October 17, 2024
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Coxswain Audrey Lucerne has a home-court advantage-rather, a home-river advantage-for this weekend's Head of the Charles Regatta.

The world's largest multiday rowing event is often referred to as "the coxswain's race," Lucerne says, because of how tricky the steering is on the river.

Lucerne (Sargent'25) and the other BU rowing athletes, however, race the course every day. She says she's even excited by the race's variability and the challenges that they present.

"I know a lot of coxswains find it stressful, but it's exciting that you can't predict what the race is going to look like. It's emotional a little bit because the Head of the Charles is an exciting race, and it's really fun to be a part of. It'll be a good last one," the senior says.

The annual regatta is expected to draw more than 800 rowing clubs and over 200,000 bystanders. The course is a three-mile timed trial that begins at Boston University's DeWolfe Boathouse and winds under six bridges.

"The lights don't get much brighter than this. It's a special event. It's the fall classic," says Malcolm Doldron, director of women's rowing. "We don't have a ton of opportunities to experience this level of visibility within the sport. It's a high-level race. It's a high-performance race." And there may be more Olympians competing in the Head of the Charles than any other rowing event outside of the Olympics, he says.

The men's rowing team practicing in advance of this year's Head of the Charles, October 18 to 20. The men are hoping for a top-six finish in this year's IRA National Championship Regatta.

"It's a really incredible experience for our team to be able to see more of what the rowing world is like," says Mary Foster, lightweight rowing head coach. "For them to be able to see the rowers that are competing at the Olympics, the rowers that are competing at the Paralympics and on the world stage, and race on their home course is a pretty cool experience."

Boston University's three rowing teams-men's, women's, and women's lightweight-will compete in a total of 12 races across the weekend, starting Friday. The races are unlike any the teams compete in during the spring championship season, which are shorter, faster races.

However, men's rowing head coach and two-time Olympic medalist Thomas Bohrer says the Regatta can still serve as a sort of benchmark for the team.

"We need to be faster than we were the week before," Bohrer says. "I'm not putting it like we have to win or be top 10 or things like that. The team really just needs to feel like we executed a good race, and that's the most important part for me."

The men's team is coming off three-straight top-10 finishes at June's Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta. Team members have been practicing for five weeks to prepare for the Head of the Charles, and they say they have their sights set on a top-six finish.

The team competed against Dartmouth in a scrimmage earlier in the season, but the Head of the Charles is the first chance for Bohrer to see how this year's team stacks up against competition.

Meanwhile, the women's rowing team swept the Patriot League Championship last season, winning its third league title in program history. The team has added 12 freshmen, and while Doldron remains focused on Patriot League titles, he's hoping for something more this season.

The Patriot League title "was important for validation for the work that they do and the sacrifices they make and their commitment to doing this at a high level," Doldron says. "It makes you want to work harder and makes you want to try to do it again. We're going to continue to push our boundaries and improve daily."

Lucerne echoes that thought and views the Patriot League Championship as the team's "baseline." She says it also helps the team race in high-intensity races, such as Head of the Charles.

"We're jumping off from the win at Patriot League and being able to have the opportunity to go to NCAAs, so that's our foundation. We're just kind of looking to improve it every year," she says. "Racing at such a high level gives you some added experience that allows you to approach races like the Head of the Charles with a little bit more maturity, so you know what to do."

The women's rowing team won the Patriot League championship last season and has even more ambitious goals this season.

Last season, Foster's first at the helm of the lightweight rowing team, she led the team to a third-place finish at the IRA National Championship Regatta. The athletes set the goals for the season, she says, and they have "high aspirations."

Foster adds that the Head of the Charles offers the team a chance to learn a lot about themselves early in the season and helps them figure out their goals and priorities as they progress through the winter and into the spring.

When the teams take to the Charles this weekend, Doldron says, they will have an advantage over the competition because of the roommates, fellow student-athletes, and Boston residents supporting them along the way.

"We want to do our best to represent our program, our school, and our city," he says. "It's a uniquely Boston race, and we are a uniquely Boston institution. We love it."

The Head of the Charles Regatta is Friday, October 18, through Sunday, October 20. Admission is free. Fans can watch live coverage on Youtube and on the Head of the Charles website. Follow BU's teams on X (formerly Twitter) @TerrierMROW, @TerrierWROW, @Terrier130ROW, and @BUGameDay. Find the complete racing schedule here.

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