For the first time in 34 years, the Harvard heavyweight men's crew won the Championship Eight event at the Head of the Charles Regatta, and Boston Globe sportswriter John Powers ’70 captured the details. It was Harvard's third victory in this event, which has been dominated in recent years by national-team crews. (Previous wins came in 1969 and 1977.)
The Crimson varsity, coming off an extraordinarily successful spring season, dethroned the reigning champions from the University of Washington, who had finished two seconds ahead of Harvard in the 2010 Head and also won the national title at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta in June. As the Head of the Charles champions, the Huskies started first, 10 seconds ahead of the Crimson, which began closing on them after the first mile. The triumph was a satisfying one for both the crew and head coach Harry Parker, in his fiftieth year of leading the program, who has been receiving treatment for cancer recently. “Harry’s had a rough time these last few months, but he’s handling it with his typical persistence,’’ stroke Patrick Lapage told Powers. “It means the world to us to do it for him."
