Thousands Gather for United State's Biggest Head Race

Boston's Head of the Charles Regatta will be on the minds of rowers across the United States and the world this weekend. The annual event is playing host to a selected 6,500 racers over two days and already in their wake are just as many rowers who could not be included. Number restrictions mean twice as many entries were received and only half could be accepted in a race dubbed ?the world's largest two-day rowing event.?   Five kilometres of Boston's Charles River will welcome back 2003 World Champion, Rumyana Neykova of Bulgaria. She will defend her ?Head? title starting just ahead of top United States sculler, Kristin Goodrich. In the men's single Estonia's Jueri Jaanson, currently training in the United States, will be hoping to improve on his sixth place finish from last year's race. He will go up against top US sculler, Mike Perry.  Head of the Charles' Assistant Director Chris Kerber says much focus will be on the men's and women's championship eights. The Canadians have headed south to take on the United States. Canada's women finished ahead of 2002 World Champions, the United States, at this year's World Championships and the Americans will want to show their worth after failing to make the medal podium in Milan.  Canada finished a mere one second ahead of the US in the men's eight final at this year's World Championships and there is no love lost between these two crews as they take to the water at the end of the second day of racing starting in first and second positions. Off the water, and new to this year's regatta is the Reunion Village. The village will host crews who want to use the event as their annual get-together. These crews span decades with the notorious ?rude and smooth? Harvard University crew of 1975 returning. United States Olympic reunion crews include the 1972 and 1980 men's eight, the 1984 women's gold medal eight as well as the 1999 World Championship lightweight men's eight. On the water 16 countries will line up with Melbourne University Rowing Club from Australia having travelled the furthest distance to compete. Spearheaded by this year's Thomas Keller medal winner, Peter Antonie, the Australians will line up as one of 54 boats in the men's club eight race. But the event with the most entries goes to the grand masters, 50+, men's single. A total of 68 boats will race each other around the meandering turns of Boston's famous landmark in this event. Recently the biggest increase in participation has come in masters rowing for women and men in their fifties.Kerber predicts that up to 300,000 spectators will line the Charles River course over the two-day span of the regatta. Kerber, however, qualifies this figure with, ?weather permitting? as Boston's October days are known for their changeable temperatures and conditions. Complete regatta cancellation has once occurred. The growth of the Head of the Charles from its start in 1965 when collegiate racing dominated the programme to today's extensive list of events has demanded the services of 900 volunteers who will cover everything from river control to hospitality and from timing to setting the course.

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