62nd Annual
The Head of the Charles Regatta is closely associated with Harvard but is not a Harvard University event.
Founded in 1965 by members of the Cambridge Boat Club, the race developed with advice from Harvard sculling
instructor Ernest Arlett, who proposed adapting the English “head of the river” tradition to the Charles.
Today the regatta is independently organized by Head Of The Charles Regatta, Inc. and Cambridge Boat Club.
Harvard crews remain prominent participants, while thousands of collegiate, club and alumni rowers compete.
It is a particularly durable example of an independent, university-adjacent enterprise growing within an educational settlement.
