On October 21 and 22, thousands of crews from around the world headed to the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, to participate in The Head of the Charles, the largest 2-day rowing regatta in the world. Among these crews was Pelham Community Rowing Association (PCRA), a PMHS varsity team during the spring season that is otherwise a year-round club. The Head of the Charles is a chance to race against some of the top crews worldwide, including national-level boats.

“There were tens of thousands of people there,” junior SJ O’Connor said, “Especially considering how hard we had trained, it was a great opportunity to go up against some of the most competitive crews from around the world.”

Being such a competitive race, even attending is an honor, but Pelham’s athletes defied the odds and placed very well. The team, led by head coach and former Olympic rower Henrik Rummel, sent a boat of four and a boat of eight girls, plus coxswains, along with a boat of four boys and a boy’s double. Out of these boats, both the girls’ four and the boys’ four placed in the top half out of 85 boats in their respective races.

“Our girls four, with an average age of 14, was competing against 17 and 18 year olds, and still managed to finish 38th in a field of 85,” said Coach Rummel. “We had a great Head of the Charles with our best finishes since 2013.”

The boats that finished in the top half of their races secured themselves a spot in next year’s regatta, and the club’s strong performance overall allowed many PCRA and PMHS rowers to be noticed on a collegiate level.