By a majority vote of the of the Head Of The Charles Board of Directors, the Regatta is happy to introduce for 2008 two "special" double scull events to benefit the permanent Endowment of the Head Of The Charles Regatta. We thank you for your participation in the Directors' Challenge Parent/Child and Mixed Double events, and for your continued support of the Regatta. Please note that the limitation that no one, including coxswains, may compete in the Regatta more than once will NOT apply to the Directors' Challenge Quadruple Sculls, Mixed Doubles or to the Parent/Child Doubles.

Deadline: Friday, October 10
Parent/Child Double: Register Online Here
Mixed Double: Register Online Here
Download Registration Form Here

Entry Fee & Donation: $500 ($350 tax-deductible, $150 entry fee)

Entries will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis (receipt of completed application form and full payment of entry fees by the Regatta office) at any time prior to 11:59 PM on October 8, 2008. However, the deadline for being listed in the Regatta program is October 1, 2008

Size of Event-Divisions:

The maximum number of accepted entries will be 50 (sum of both divisions). The mixed double will operate with an age-handicapping system. The parent/child event will not be handicapped.

Specifications of Double Scull Special Events:

Mixed Double: one male sculler and one female sculler only
Parent/Child: No handicapping, any gender, any age.

Entry Rules:

The limitation that no one, including coxswains, may compete in the Regatta more than once will NOT apply to the Mixed Double or to the Parent/Child Double Sculling Events.

The events are open to all experienced scullers. The races will be held on Saturday following the close of racing. Athletes participating in the Directors' Challenge Doubles must, at a minimum, be enrolled in high school. College athletes should be aware that their participation in this event may affect their NCAA eligibility.

The Mixed Double Event will employ an age-handicapping system (to one tenth of a second) based on the USRowing handicaps and adapted to the Head Of The Charles 3-mile course, and calculated from the average age of the crew by the formula: (age - 27) x (age - 27) x (0.02) x (4.8). Doubles whose average ages are 26 and below will have time added (subject to change for the 2008 Regatta).

Competitors must race in traditional (sliding seat, fixed rigger) racing shells equipped.

For these events, there are no guaranteed entries and no guaranteed entry privileges at any future Head Of The Charles Regatta. Winning either event or coming within 5% of the winning time, will not earn the institution or the individual competitors a guaranteed entry into any event at the succeeding year's Head Of The Charles Regatta, nor will it have any bearing on the Club specification at any future Regatta.

Each entry must comply with all the general rules governing all other events of the Regatta, except where otherwise stated herein. Entry applications will be accepted only from doubles comprised of U.S.A residents who are members of a USRowing-member institution and/or an organization having "institutional membership" in the Regatta, or, if competing "unaffiliated", are individual members of USRowing, and from foreign nationals who are in good standing with their nation's FISA-recognized governing body. The names of the individual scullers, and their affiliation must be stated on the application form.

Competitors may solicit corporate sponsorship for their boats (display of sponsor's name on the boat) only with prior approval from the Head Of The Charles Regatta.

Substitution of any member is permitted, provided all other entry rules and specifications are met.  No substitutions are permitted once a crew's boating form has been submitted at on-site registration.

Starting Order:

Entries will be seeded based upon experience listed on the application form (prior results) and bow numbers will be posted online.

Parent/Child Awards:

All competitors in the Directors' Challenge Parent/Child Double will receive a Sports Graphics Participants' Photograph. No medals

Mixed Double Awards:

Awards (winners only) will be presented at the first awards ceremony on Sunday.

FIRST PLACE MEDALS: 2 1/2-inch individually struck bronze medallions will be awarded to the members of the winning crew in the Mixed Double.

SUBSIDIARY MEDALS: 1 3/4-inch individually struck bronze medallions will be awarded to the members of the runner-ups in the Mixed Double. A subsidiary medal is awarded per every 10 entrants (up to a maximum of of 5th place for at least 40 entrants), as for other events in the Regatta.