On Oct. 19 and 20, Dartmouth’s women’s openweight rowing team and men’s heavyweight and lightweight men’s rowing teams competed in the Head of the Charles, an annual regatta on the Charles River in Boston.
The Head of the Charles is the “world’s biggest rowing event,” lasting three days and featuring elite collegiate rowers, alumni boats, international teams and youth rowers, according to heavyweight coach Wyatt Allen. The bustling energy of the regatta — which featured food stands, loud music and constant races — was palpable.
“It’s a huge event,” Allen said. “It’s sort of a celebration of rowing and a festival, so there are big crowds and just a lot going on.”
For Dartmouth’s teams, the regatta offered the opportunity to navigate a 4800-meter course that is “really tricky,” according to women’s rower Dimitra Papaioannou ’28.
“This race features several sharp turns and bridges, which require precision and skill, adding a level of difficulty that sets it apart from other races,” Papaioannou said.
The regatta is a test of strategy, especially for the coxswains, who have to steer through the winding course and boat traffic. Lightweight captain Ryan Tripp ’25 explained that when steering on a wiggling course, it is more difficult for a coxswain to keep a straight “line” by centering the boat’s hull.
“The difference between a coxswain that has a really good line and a bad line can end up being some really significant seconds,” Tripp said. “You can end up with 100 or 200 extra meters, which would translate to 30 or 40 seconds … or even longer sometimes.”
The twisting nature of the Charles River makes it the coxswains’ “time to shine,” Allen said.
Phelan Bryant ’28, who raced in the women’s Club Eights boat, also emphasized the importance of her coxswain teammates in the 4800-meter.
“It’s really a coxswain’s race,” Bryant said. “A good coxswain is crucial because they can pass other boats or just know the best way to navigate down the course.”
During the spring season, rowers race on a straight course directly against one another, according to Allen. During the Head of the Charles, however, boats are constantly launched in 15-second intervals. According to Allen, it all comes down to the timing.
“You’re basically racing the clock and trying to stay ahead of the boat behind you and catch the boat in front of you,” Allen said.
The women’s team and the heavyweight men’s team each entered five boats, and the lightweight men’s team contributed an additional two. The event provided an opportunity to build camaraderie and prepare for the upcoming spring racing season, Tripp said.
“In rowing, there’s a lot of speed that can be picked up just by becoming more comfortable in a boat together,” Tripp said.
The heavyweight men’s team finished ahead of the defending national champion University of Washington with a time of 13:55.261 in the Men’s Championship Eights. The group’s time was good for third place overall and second place in the collegiate category this year.
The heavies also placed first in the Men’s Club Fours and Men’s Club Eights and sixth in the Men’s Championship Fours.
The lightweight men’s team also had a strong performance, with the “A” entry — entry for places 1 through 6 — finishing in fifth place and “B” entry — entry for places 7 through 12 — finishing 11th in the Men’s Lightweight Eights.
In the Men’s Championship Doubles, an event featuring former Olympic medalists Valent and Martin Sinkovic, the Big Green tandem Wyatt Ellison ’25 and Jack Schwartz ’25 placed 15th out of 20 entries.
The Big Green women’s team had three top-10 finishes, with the Club Eights and Fours coming in fifth and ninth, respectively, and the Championship Fours coming in sixth. The Championship Eights placed 20th. The Club Eights’ time of 16:40.194 was less than nine seconds behind second place.
“It was a really nice first race, and we have a lot of work to do until the next one,” Papaioannou said.
While the regatta does not count toward Ivy League championships or national rankings, it serves as the team’s “first significant test of the year,” Allen said. The competition allows Dartmouth rowers to see where they stand in comparison to other collegiate teams and what to expect in the spring.
“I think it showed us that we’re capable of competing with the top crews,” Allen said. “But it’s going to be a really competitive spring.”
For Bryant, her boat’s performance provided some assurance going into the upcoming season.
“My boat was only four seconds off of Princeton, which for us is a pretty big deal,” Bryant said. “It’s pretty close, so it gives us confidence for the future.”
The Head of the Charles was also an opportunity for some of the Big Green’s newest rowers to race for the first time ahead of a more competitive spring season, Papaioannou said.
“It felt really nice to be a member of such a supportive team, and I had so much fun cheering for all my teammates,” Papaioannou said.
Despite the pressure and physical demands, Dartmouth’s rowers remained focused on performance.
“Mentally, as a team, we try to be focused before and during the race and stay as calm and positive as possible,” Papaioannou said. “Physically, we have to rest well every day and be responsible for our recovery… Being an athlete is a full-time job.”
In addition to competing, the Dartmouth rowers watched alumni and high school boats compete.
“You have a really wide range of competitions,” Tripp said. “You have younger high schoolers that are going out for some of their first races, you have college students like us and you have a lot of elite rowers.”
The regatta also brought different members of the rowing community together. Bryant said she connected with friends from her high school rowing team and said the weekend was a “lot of fun.”
“As my first real college racing experience for Dartmouth, it was such a fun weekend, getting to watch everyone, getting to see all my friends, how my boat felt,” Bryant said. “It was a very successful weekend.”
