Hello, Mercer Varsity Athletes and Parents,
We are looking forward to the second regatta of the season. The Head of the Charles (www.hocr.org) is a Varsity-only regatta scheduled for Sunday, October 22, in Boston, MA. This regatta is by invitation only, and this year we are sending the Boys V8, the Girls V8 and 2V8, the Men’s Masters 4+, and the Women’s Masters 4+. The coaches have posted the lineups. The current tentative schedule is as follows:
Saturday:
10:29am Men’s Senior Masters 4+
10:47am Women’s Senior Masters 4+
Sunday:
10:06am Women’s Youth 8+ (both entries)
12:45pm Men’s Youth 8+
Travel Plans:
We are departing from the boathouse at 5:30 am Friday, October 20. Athletes should arrive at the boathouse packed and ready to leave. They should also bring snacks and water, but the plan is to have lunch on the road. We will drive directly to the course so the athletes can rig the boats and get in a practice row. We will be returning to the boathouse on Sunday, October 22, some time in the evening.
We will be traveling in 3 vans, with 4 chaperones (an extra one to be at the course with the athletes while the vans are being parked offsite). There will be a chaperone assigned to each boat competing at the event.
The cost for this regatta is higher than it is for most other regattas. This is in large part due to the costs associated with traveling to Boston this weekend; the Head of the Charles is a prestigious regatta that hosts clubs and teams at all levels from all over the world.
The registration link for the Head of the Charles is here. If you have not yet filled out and signed a Travel Guidelines and Expectations form, please do so and have your athlete return the form to his/her coach by Monday, October 16th. The link for the form is here..
We will provide updates on ETA’s, as well as results, on Facebook. We will do what we can to post on the blog as well, but please use Facebook as your primary source of information. If you are watching from home, results will also be posted on www.RegattaCentral.com. You can also follow via livestream from the event website www.hocr.org.
Hotel Details:
PNRA has secured rooms at the Boston Marriott Newton, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA 02466 for athletes and coaches.
Meals:
The following meals will be provided:
Lunch Friday, October 20
Dinner Friday, October 20 (choice by boat)
Breakfast Saturday, October 21 (full breakfast at the Hotel)
Dinner Saturday, October 21 (Bertucci’s, an annual tradition)
Breakfast Sunday, October 22 (full breakfast at the Hotel)
Lunch Sunday (at the course)
NOTE: Lunch on Saturday will be at the course. Athletes will purchase their own.
Dinner on Sunday will be by boat on the way home. Athletes will purchase their own.
***** Please have your athlete bring cash for snacks, meals, and event gear. *****
Coaches’ Travel Note:
The Head of Charles is a unique event. It is very hard to obtain an entry through the open lottery system. The only way to avoid the lottery and guarantee an entry for the next year is to finish in the top half of your event. In 2017, for the third time in the history of the club, Mercer has three guaranteed entries. The second unique aspect of the Charles is that it is an incredibly difficult course to navigate for a coxswain. There are a couple of extreme turns, six bridges, and many boats to pass along the way. Therefore, we want to make sure our coxswains are prepared. We want to ensure that we have best possible chance of finishing in the top half of each race, so future Mercer rowers have the opportunity to participate at this great event. We believe it is crucial for us to have the ability to get athletes out on the course for a row on Friday, and have our coxswains attend the coxswains clinic on Saturday, as it will help them be relaxed and prepared for the race on Sunday.
A huge thank you again to everyone who has offered to help. We look forward to another successful regatta.
Coach Justin
Coach Matt
Go, Mercer!