Head of the Charles Regatta

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Kennedy School women's team outside the Weld Boathouse preparing to row the Head of the Charles in 1996, though that year the race was cancelled due to bad weather.

The Head of the Charles Regatta®, also known as HOTC or HOCR, is a rowing race held on the second-to-last weekend of October each year on the Charles River, which connects Boston and Cambridge Massachusetts. It is the largest regatta in the world, with more than 8,000 athletes rowing approximately 1,600 boats, and attracting 250,000 spectators throughout Regatatta weekend. The Head Of The Charles Regatta is run by a small office and approximately 1,000 volunteers annually.

Spectators line the bank of the Charles River

The course is approximately three miles long. It starts at the Boston University boathouse near the Charles River Basin and finishes after the Eliot bridge and before Northeastern University boathouse. The last races of the Regatta are generally the most prestigious: the Lightweight 8s, Championship 4s, and Championship 8s (both men and women). Championship sculling events (1x/single and 2x/double) race on Saturday afternoon.

The competitive field includes individual and team competitors from colleges, high schools, and clubs from nearly all American states and various countries. The 2006 field included rowers from China, South Africa, Croatia, and the Netherlands, to name a few. The age of athletes spans from 14 to 85 years old with experience levels from novice to Olympic.

Spectators can arrive easily via the MBTA T-line to Harvard or Central Squares in Cambridge, which are both approximately a 10-minute walk away from the river banks.

[edit] Additional features

A crew from Ireland racing in the Head of the Charles in 2003

Two-day music concert known as "Row-a-Palooza" and located at the Weeks Footbridge on the Cambridge shore
Reunion Village, a cluster of protected tents where various alumni associations and clubs hold gatherings
Pasta dinner for competitors, held the Friday before the regatta
International collegiate sprint, race held Friday before the regatta and sponsored by Virgin Atlantic
Multiple food and clothing vendors
Free giveaways along the river from sponsors