Woods and Skubas third at the Head of the Charles
GRP Row raced the 61st Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston on Saturday, October 17, with three crews in the Championship Doubles and three scullers in the Women's Championship Single, then finished with a Mixed Eight on Sunday. A strong headwind made for a tough afternoon on the Charles.
Quin Woods and Matthew Skubas led the way in the Men's Championship Double. They finished third in 17:29.42, just 4.5 seconds out of second, and held third at every timing point from start to finish. Evan Hankins-Hull and Kevin Harvell were fifth in the same 20-boat field in 17:48.28.
Quin Woods and Matthew Skubas on their way to third in the Men's Championship Double. Photo: Gavin Poma
In the Women's Championship Double, Natalie Hoefer and Grace Donabedian finished sixth in 19:51.49.
Grace Donabedian (bow) and Natalie Hoefer during the women’s champ double. Photo: Gavin Poma
Paige Wheeler led three GRP scullers in the Women's Championship Single, finishing seventh in 20:38.02. She was second-fastest in the field over the final stretch of the course. Catie Castle was 10th and Cillian Mullen 15th.
Several GRP alums had big weekends too. Grace Joyce (California Rowing Club) won the Women's Championship Single. Cooper Tuckerman (Ever Green) was third in the Men's Championship Single. Holly Drapp was second in the Women's Championship Eight with USTC Boston and won the Women's Alumnae Eight with UW. Kai Hoite also won the Men's Alumni Eight with Brown.
The weekend closed on Sunday with a win. Quin Woods, Kai Hoite, Grace Donabedian and Jesse Ryno rowed in a Team Susan crew in the Directors' Challenge Mixed Eight and took first, finishing more than 13 seconds ahead of the rest of the 14-boat field.
Next up, GRP heads to the Head of the Fish in Saratoga Springs, NY, this Saturday, October 24. The season closes at Fall Speed Order, the USRowing Small Boat National Championships, November 14–15 on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, NJ. The full lineup is in the GRP Row Fall Schedule.