Olympians Headline the 52nd Head Of The Charles® Regatta

Cambridge, MA – The Head Of The Charles® Regatta (HOCR), one of the world’s preeminent rowing competitions, will take place the weekend of October 22-23 in Boston. The 2016 Regatta will be highlighted by a roster of competitors fresh off the Rio Summer Olympics and feature a variety of races for U.S. and international rowers of all ages and abilities. Presented by BNY Mellon and celebrating its 52^nd year, the Head Of The Charles is expected to attract close to 11,000 competitors and tens of thousands spectators over the two-day event.

The Head Of The Charles attracts a world-class field of competitors and the 2016 Regatta will include a group of elite US and international rowers, including athletes who competed at the Rio Olympics. Among the Olympic athletes expected to participate are members of the gold medal winning U.S. Women’s Eight; gold medalists Mahe Drysdale (New Zealand) and Valent Sinkovic (Croatia); silver medalists Gary and Paul O’Donovan (Ireland), Damir Martin (Croatia) and James McRae (Australia); and bronze medalist Olaf Tufte (Norway). In total, more than 50 athletes who participated in the Rio Olympics are expected to row at the HOCR. In addition, many of the top US universities and elite rowing clubs will compete in the Regatta.

“This year’s HOCR promises to be one of the most exciting US and international fields this event has ever seen,” said Fred Schoch, the Executive Director of the HOCR. “From local competitors to international rowing legends, the Regatta brings the most talented athletes in rowing from around the world to Boston. This is truly a global competition and we are thrilled to have so many Olympians competing in this year’s regatta off the heels of Rio.”

BNY Mellon, a global leader in investment management and investment services, returns for the fourth of a five-year commitment as Presenting Sponsor of the HOCR. The BNY Mellon Championship Trophy will be presented to the winning collegiate competitors in the Regatta’s Men and Women’s Championship Eights. The Yale University men’s and University of California women’s teams will defend their Championship Eights titles at this year’s Regatta.

The 52^nd Regatta also marks the addition of two new events and the expansion of Para Rowing events. The HOCR will debut a new youth event, the quad with coxswain, and introduce the mixed eight to replace the mixed quad as a Directors’ Challenge event. Following the success of the Inclusion 2x Exhibition in 2015, the 52^nd HOCR will incorporate the boat class as part of the TA 2x event and add the Inclusion 4+ to the LTA 4+ field. Inclusion boats are crews where 50 percent of the athletes, excluding the coxswain, have a qualifying visual, physical, or intellectual impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

The 2016 Head Of The Charles Regatta also marks the first for new HOCR Chairman Kathy Kirk, who succeeded longtime chairman Edward Smith in March. Kirk has served as a Managing Director of the Head Of The Charles Regatta since 2008 and is an alumnae of Harvard Radcliffe Lightweight crew team.

The Head Of The Charles Regatta will be free and open to the public. In addition to exhilarating rowing action on the challenging three-mile course – beginning at Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse and finishing at Artesani Park in Brighton – the Regatta offers a number of family-friendly activities. These activities include the Rowing and Fitness Expo; food vendors serving delicacies from all over the world; and Reunion Village – the half-way point of the race offering clubs, schools, alumni groups, parents, boosters and more the opportunity to catch up with friends in a fun and relaxed environment.

For more information on the Head Of The Charles Regatta, please visit www.hocr.org, follow HOCR’s official Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as the official 2016 regatta hashtag #HOCR52.

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About the Head Of The Charles Regatta
Preparing for the 52nd race, the Head Of The Charles Regatta, one of the world’s preeminent rowing competitions, attracts more than 11,000 rowers and tens of thousands of spectators to the banks of the Charles River. Racing takes place on Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23, between the hours of 7:45 AM and 5:00 PM. The Regatta attracts youth, collegiate, masters, para-rowing, international, world champion, and Olympic athletes competing in 32 events. Follow HOCR on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.