The Head Of The Charles Regatta® (HOCR), the world’s largest two-day rowing competition, will celebrate its 50th occurrence in less than two weeks, a milestone that the Regatta will commemorate with a few special events! Prominent among them is the sold-out HOCR 50th Gala Dinner with an anticipated 700 guests, a 50th anniversary documentary exploring the Regatta, and a 50 History Exhibit, to be located upstream of the Eliot Bridge, near Hospitality Row.
As has become tradition for the Regatta, the HOCR will also feature a world-class field of competition, drawing elite athletes from around the world and the United States. Athletes from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand will compete, alongside U.S. competitors from across the country. This field will also include four Great Eights: a Men’s Great Sweep 8+, representing Taurus Boat Club; a Men’s Great Sculling 8+, representing Craftsbury Sculling Center; a Men’s Great Lightweight 8+, representing Cambridge Boat Club; and the Women’s Great Sculling 8+, representing Cambridge Boat Club.
To celebrate this historic year, HOCR organizers are inviting fans and competitors to commemorate the milestone in a variety of ways:
- A Gala celebration will be held on Saturday October 18, with Olympians and key Regatta organizers who will address rowing teams, alumni groups, clubs, and individuals past and present. The event will be held from 6:00 – 9:30 PM at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Gymnasium. Each guest will receive a HOCR 50th anniversary commemorative gift and other 50th souvenirs.
- A 50th anniversary documentary film will be available, featuring an historical look at the Regatta, including archival footage and rowing stories from years past. Clips of the film will be shown at the HOCR 50 History Exhibit and extended clips will be shown at the HOCR 50 Gala.
- Fans will also be able to visit the HOCR 50 History Exhibit near Hospitality Row during the weekend's festivities to see historical artifacts, photos, and other HOCR memorabilia from past Regattas.
"No one could have envisioned how big this event would become when it was started back in 1965 by a few members of the Cambridge Rowing Club, but this will be a spectacular year for the Regatta, and one that reaffirms the event as New England's most celebrated fall tradition," said Head Of The Charles Executive Director Fred Schoch. "We've been planning for this weekend for years – October will be the culmination of a half century of historic rowing on Boston's famed Charles River, and fans will be delighted by what the Regatta has in store."