Team WinTech and King had a phenomenally successful weekend at the 2023 edition of the Head of the Charles. Hailed as one of the world’s largest rowing events, Boston was awash with crews from up and down the USA alongside a host of international entrants. Olympians rubbed shoulders with novices as the fastest athletes in the world took to the Charles to pit their wits against each other across a three-day festival of sport. All told, WinTech & King boats collected a staggering 42 medals in an incredible showing of athletic prowess. Furthermore, Team WinTech & King proudly provided handcrafted display singles for the incredible The Boys in the Boat exhibit, Eliot enclosure, and official Vineyard Vines HOCR store, as well as the wood-themed eight rowed by the 1936 University of Washington tribute crew.
In some events, medals were handed out for placings right across the grid depending on where you finished in your respective category/how many entrants there were in the division. On the Friday, we picked up a solitary medal via Bert Hoefsloot finishing fourth in the Men’s Senior Veteran/Grand Veteran Singles for Dutch club De Hoop.
The floodgates then opened on Saturday as WinTech & King crews collected 19 medals across the day. Our outright wins came in six categories; Endeavor wrapped up the Women’s Senior and Grand Masters Eights in King SE shells with the latter setting a new record in torrential rain. Molesey Boat Club from the UK collected the pennant in the Men’s Grand Masters Coxed Four, setting another new record in a King SE, and East Arm won the female equivalent in a WinTech, setting yet another record. Marin Rowing Association of California won the Men’s Masters 40+ Eight, setting an additional new record in a King SE whilst the Women’s Championship Double went to Blacksheep, who brought it home in a WinTech. Marin Rowing Association finished tenth in the Women’s Senior Masters Coxed Four but were the quickest 60+ crew in a King SE.
Our silver medals then came in the Men’s Senior Masters Coxed Four with Molesey Boat Club in a King SE, Women’s Grand Masters Coxed Four with Chinook in a King SE, Men’s Masters 40+ Eight with Fat Cat in a King, and the Men’s Club Coxed Four with Vesta in a WinTech, who finished sixth overall but were the second fastest club crew.
On the Sunday, the medals continued to pile up as WinTech & King crews collected six outright pennant wins and a victory in age category. Oakland Strokes won the Men’s Youth Coxed Four, defeating nearly 90 other crews to take the title in a WinTech. Windsor Boys School of the UK claimed the Men’s Youth Coxed Quad in a WinTech, cementing themselves as ones to watch back on the British domestic circuit. RowAmerica Rye secured a one-two in the Men’s U17 Coxed Four with WinTech shells whilst P3PE rowed a WinTech to victory in the Directors Challenge Quad. RowAmerica Rye continued their impressive victory trend by taking the Women’s Youth Eight title in a King SE, in a category where six of the top ten finishers were King shells. Saugatuck Rowing Club won the Women’s U17 Coxed Four and Norwalk River finished seventh overall in Men’s Youth Doubles but were the fastest U17 boat.
RowAmerica Rye in their WinTech were silver medallists in the Men’s Youth Quad, finishing behind the aforementioned Windsor Boys, whilst Saugatuck Rowing Club took a King SE to second place in the Men’s Youth Eight. Tideway Scullers School, current holders of the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, came second in the Women’s Youth Coxed Quad in their WinTech whilst NYAC came second in the Women’s Youth Double with their WinTech. RowAmerica Rye put in another strong performance to finish second in the Women’s U17 Coxed Four in another WinTech whilst the University of San Diego were second in the Men’s Collegiate Coxed Four. Alexander Auth of NYAC was seventh in the Men’s Youth Single but was the second fastest U17 athlete in his WinTech.
Team WinTech & King also collected nine bronze medals across the three days of racing; Marin in the Women’s Grand Masters Eight with their King SE, Longhorn Legends in the Women’s Alumnae Eight with their King SE, Windsor Boys in the Men’s Championship Double with their WinTech, Finn Putnam of NYAC in the Men’s Championship Single with their WinTech, Justin Schmidt of Conshohocken in the Men’s Lightweight Single in his WinTech, RowAmerica Rye in the Women’s Youth Eight with their King SE, the Danish Rowing Center in Women’s Championship Eights in their King SE, and NYAC in the Directors Challenge Parent/Child in another WinTech.
Overall, it was another incredible rendition of the world’s largest and most well-attended rowing race with over 400,000 attentees. Team WinTech & King is honoured to have been the official boat partner and supplier for this legendary event, supporting over 600 athletes in 62 boats and 120 renting teams across three action-packed days. To all of our athletes from the USA, UK, Ireland, Holland, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, we hope to see you all back next year! Until then, with many programs turning their attention towards indoor training for the next few months, we look forward to watching programs develop in preparation for what promises to be a fantastic Spring season!
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