Women's Rowing Competes At Head Of The Charles

Oct. 18, 2001

Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The University of Miami will be sending its varsity women’s eight to the Head of the Charles Regatta, the world’s largest two-day rowing event, on the Charles River in Boston, Mass.

The varsity women’s eight consists of coxswain Jenny Lee, along with rowers Jenny Krawec, Ananda Chou, Amanda Turner, Marijka VanderPol, Jacqui Julien, Monika Manios, Bridget Gallagher and Kate Weeden.

The UM boat will compete in the Championship Eight race on Sunday, October 21st at 4 p.m. Races begin at the Boston University Boathouse and finish at the Artesani Park, which is between the Northeastern Boathouse and the Eliot Bridge.

The Head of the Charles Regatta was first held on October 16, 1965 and has grown tremendously over the last 34 years. In 2001, more than 5,400 rowers will compete in the 22 races over the two-day schedule.

The Cambridge Boat Club members D’Arcy MacMahon, Howard McIntyre, and Jack Vincent established the race, with the audience of Harvard University sculling instructor Ernest Arlett. Arlett proposed that a “head of the river” race similar in tradition to races held in England be held on the Charles River. “Head” races, a class of regattas, are generally three miles long with boats racing against each other and the clock, starting sequentially approximately fifteen seconds apart. Winners of each race receive the honorary title of “Head of the River” or, in this case, “Head of the Charles.”

The women will return to action on November 3rd, at the Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta on the Olympic Course in Gainesville, GA.