The HBS Men’s Crew competed in the Head of the Charles on Saturday October 19, placing a respectable 21st (out of 64 teams) in the Club Four event, with a time of 18:01. From stern to bow, the rowers were Josh Slocum (NG), Phil Kerr (OB), Brian Bechard (OI), and Jeff Galvin (OJ).
Coxswain Julie Kennedy (KSG ’02) kept the boat on a straight – and profanity-laced – course the entire three miles.
It was a good conclusion to a hectic and at times calamitous training period. First, the anticipated corporate sponsorships from Worldcom and Enron never materialized, despite assurances that an investment in the HBS team would at least match recent returns on equity. Later, scheduling conflicts and a broken skeg (stabilizing fin) on their shared training shell cost both the men’s and women’s teams several practices in the week just before the race. And things didn’t look promising on raceday when bowman Galvin arrived at the boathouse still sporting mascara and glitter from the Priscilla Ball.
Fans appeared to get their money’s worth. First time rowing spectator Jaime Irick (OJ) admitted, “I can’t believe I’ve been such a loser my whole life. If I had any idea how cool crew was, I never would have played basketball at Army – I would have been out rowing with [fellow cadet] Bechard.”
The crew would like to thank everyone who cheered them on.
