Senior-Master Men's Singles (40+)
Event 3 - Saturday 8:39 AM
Course Record: 18:19.758 (Gregory Benning, Cambridge BC, 2007)
Competitors: 45
For two straight Regattas, Tom Bohrer played bridesmaid to course-record holder Greg Benning of Cambridge Boat Club. That was until last year. Bohrer burned up the course, bettering the field by more than 20-seconds en route to his first title. With Benning not entered, Bohrer will be a strong favorite starting ahead of last year's runner up, James McGaffigan, of Saugatuck Rowing Club.
Senior-Master Men's Eights (50+)
Event 5 - Saturday 9:26 AM
Course Record: 15:43.490 (Team Attager, 2007)
Competitors: 34
Team Attager is in search of its 4th consecutive title in the Senior Master Men's Eight and, to do so, will have to overcome a field of 34 crews including 2008 runner up, the 1980 Rowing Club, a boat of former Olympians, as well as the always strong Leander Boat Club, which will start 3rd. The race will feature a field representing six countries including Partez Rowing Club making the trip from Japan.
Club Women's Singles
Event 14 - Saturday 11:53 AM
Course Record: 20:26.59 (Josee Paquette, Ottawa RC, 1997)
Competitors: 35
Amelia Booth of Riverside Boat Club will look to improve upon a 5th place finish in 2008 to capture her first Club Singles title. She'll be pushed by fellow RBC members, Lara Thompson and Gretchen Horner Wright, who is returning from an injury. Another favorite is Nicole Bielawski, a member of the 2009 U.S. Junior National Team, and winner of the special youth medal awarded in the club singles event.
Club Women's Eights
Event 18 - Saturday 1:16 PM
Course Record: 16:47.894 (Yale University, 2008)
Competitors: 45
A year ago, Yale University's women's eight took advantage of a wide-open field and won gold in impressive fashion, bettering the course record by two seconds and cruising to a 23-second victory. The Bulldogs will return again this year, looking for a back-to-back title, but will once again have to fight against a wildcard field that includes last year's 3rd place finishers from Lake Union Crew and the 4th place boat from Austin Rowing Club.
Championship Men's Doubles
Event 25 - Saturday 3:07 PM
Course Record: 16:01.20 (Boston Rowing Center, 1992)
Competitors: 21
Be ready for drama as the marquis races on Saturday start with a bang. A new rule allowing athletes from the 2009 World Championships to compete in both sculling and sweep championship events has stacked the men's double field with power. Members of the "Great Eight" (listed as the Tideway Scullers) including Allan Campbell & Marcel Hacker (bow 4), Iztok Cop & Warren Anderson (bow 5) and Tim Maeyens & Onderj Synek (bow 3) will all be at the front of the pack. Defending champion Peter Graves, teamed with his brother and 2009 Worlds partner, Thomas Graves, will try and hold off the Tideway Scullers. Also watch out for the German duo of Silke Kruger & Eric Knittel (bow 2), of Deutscher Ruder Verband, who captured the World Championship this year in Poznan, Poland.
Championship Women's Singles
Event 30 - Saturday 4:29 PM
Course Record: 18:45.60 (Virginia Gilder, Boston RC, 1982)
Competitors: 27
In 2008, Gevvie Stone came from nowhere in a star-studded field to capture the Championship Women's Singles event. She'll have open water in front of her but will have to look in back as the talented field includes New Zealand's Emma Twigg, who set the course record in Championship Doubles last year, U.S. Rowing's Margot Shumway and Esther Lofgren & Canada's Jane Rumball, who has won the Head Of The Charles in both Championship Doubles and Eights. Catherine Reddick, who finished 5th in 2008 and Natalie Dell of Riverside Boat Club will be dark horses in this event.
Veteran Men's Singles (60+)
Event 33 - Sunday 8:39 AM
Course Record: 19:24.32 (Christopher Collins, 68, Rivanna Rowing, 2001)
(All times adjusted by 8-seconds per year for those over 60)
Competitors: 60
With defending champion Bennett Jones elevating to the 70-plus division, Veteran's Men's Singles is a difficult field to handicap. One name that will stand out to local racing buffs is James Dietz. Dietz was a U.S. Olympian in the 1970's and won the Championship Men's Single title at the Head of the Charles seven times, including a record six straight. (Interesting note: his son, James Dietz Jr., is also racing in this year's Regatta and could be a dark horse in the Championship Men's Single himself.)
Youth Women's Eights
Event 40 - Sunday 11:44 AM
Course Record: 17:02.22 (St. Catharine's RC, 1997)
Competitors: 68
Local crew Community Rowing Inc., is coming off a record 3rd straight victory in the Youth Women's Eights and have to be considered the favorite for 2009. The always-competitive Marin Rowing Association came close to dismantling the CRI dynasty last year but fell six seconds short. They'll be on a mission to try to pull off the upset and beat the locals on their home course.
Championship Men's Eights
Event 53 - Sunday 4:09 PM
Course Record: 13:58.99 (US Rowing, 1997)
Competitors: 39
Bring on the fireworks as the most elite international field in Head of the Charles history takes to the water in the Championship Men's Eights. Headlining the field is the Tideway Scullers, better known as the "Great Eight" starting in the 6th position. Most of the members of this boat have Olympic or World Championship medals in sculling and were brought together to win the Head of the River in Great Britain earlier this year. There are plenty of challengers, though. Pole France Nancy, the French National team, returns for the second straight year, while reigning world champions, Deutscher Ruder Verband, the German national team, are back in Boston after a short hiatus. There is an extremely fast British boat from Molesey Boat Club containing members of the Great British national team, as well as 11-time champion, US Rowing. And if that wasn't competition enough, defending champions and the reigning National Collegiate Champions, the University of Washington, will start with bow #1.
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10/16/2009 4:10:15 AM
Kate Bertko, Stesha Carle, Sarah Trowbridge: 2009 USA Silver Medal W4X Meghan Sarbanis: 2009 4th place USA LW1X Jessi Reel: 2009 USA Senior Team alternate
Plus Ursula Grobler James who competed for team Espana this year.
Just because they don't row in Boston doesn't mean they aren't worth watching.