The Head of the Charles Regatta: First 50
Every October, when the foliage along the river is at its peak, the Charles is awash with thousands of racing shells from small high schools, fabled clubs, powerhouse collegiate programs and Olympic teams from around the world.
This commemorative book captures the energy and scale of the Head of the Charles, the world’s largest rowing regatta. What started a half-century ago, cooked up at a kitchen table by a few intrepid rowers, has become an international spectacle drawing more than 11,000 competitors each year to the Start Line in the Charles River Basin.
The book is fast-paced and energetic, flooded with photos that skim the pages like boats and complement Boston Globe reporter John Powers’ lively narrative. Data fields chart the Regatta’s meteoric growth. Rick’s feature pages and photo grids showcase the serpentine three-mile Course with its two make-or-break turns and seven bridges. Julia added regatta lore and personalities. Susan’s pre-press strategy ensured the hundreds of images—from old newspaper clippings to a specially commissioned Course map—printed sharply and look their best.
Working to a breakneck schedule, Volume 3 crossed the finish line with a book that does justice to what one Olympic coxswain has called “the best regatta on the planet.”
