This past weekend, the Fordham rowing team headed to the Charles River in Boston, Mass. The team competed in the Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest rowing  regatta in the world with over 2,000 boats entered, representing universities and rowing clubs from all around the globe. In total, this year’s event saw over 11,000 rowers break the water and over 400,000 spectators.

Fordham fielded two boats at the regatta. First up, the Varsity Four boat rowed in the Women’s Club Four events against many other university programs. The boat rowed a respectable time of 19:41.349, placing 31st out of 50 boats in the event. Just after the Varsity Four took their boat off the water, the Varsity Eight launched in their race, the Women’s Club Eight, placing 23rd out of 40 with a race time of 17:30.866. Unfortunately, both boats experienced major problems with headwinds, something that was somewhat unexpected considering the very calm and comfortable weather that the day started with.

While the Fordham program has historically fared slightly better in the regatta, the outlook for the rest of the season is still strong. The Head of the Charles is an event that is held in the highest regard within the sport of rowing, and the opportunity to take part in it was a wonderful experience for the athletes that competed this past Saturday.

The team seems to be feeling optimistic and is looking forward to one final race in the fall season before the winter break. The team’s next race will be the historical Head of the Schuylkill held in Philadelphia on Oct. 29.