Men's Champ Eights: Tight Race to Washington

Less than 10 seconds separate boats 1-5.

A rowdy crowd roared its approval as the boats in the men’s Championship Eights race roared by on Sunday afternoon, though it was impossible to get a sense of who was winning from the riverbank. The boats went by in the order they started, and the lead at the intermediate check points jumped back and forth between Dartmouth and Washington, with Yale, Harvard, and Syracuse close behind. When the smoke had settled, the University of Washington crew had beaten Dartmouth by two seconds and Yale by three to win its first Head of the Charles since 2016.

After starting the race at Bow 4, prime conditions propelled the Washington crew to victory.

“We did feel the wake of Harvard, but it was a pretty standard race. There was some wake, there was some wind, but it was fine,” senior rower Simon van Dorp said. “We just wanted to put down a good piece, because it’s a head race, so you don’t really have to interact with other boats unless you really overtake someone, but we knew the boats around us were going to be fast so the chances you’re going to catch someone are small. We just went out hard, tried to keep up the momentum, and put down a good piece.”

As they passed the final turn at Cambridge Boat Club, Washington trailed Yale and Dartmouth, but but gained ground over the final half mile to finish first with a time of 13:59.

“I think Zachary Casler, our coxswain, did a great job coaching us through, we had some great lines. I know the margins were small, so we probably owe a lot of the win to him, because he was just inch perfect in the turns.

“[I’m] feeling good. It’s a lot of fun to be back—to be racing with a ‘W,’” van Dorp said. “There’s a lot of energy, a lot of talented, fun guys to join, and it’s good.”

Taking the gold in the men’s champ eights race is not a new phenomenon for head coach Michael Callahan, or for the University of Washington, having claimed the title previously in 2016, 2012, 2010, and 2008.

“I think there’s a lot more joy about it than before. And also gratitude that we’re here and doing it together,” Callahan said. “With the challenges that everyone’s faced the last couple years, it makes it that much sweeter.”

Last year, as the pandemic forced regattas to cancel or hold virtual events, the University of Washington crew team took it in stride, and used the added practice time to hone their skills.

“We’ve been fighting this thing, you know, last year was so challenging. The guys basically hunkered down and didn’t do anything but actually row. They knew that we had each other and that’s what we could do,” Callahan said. “I think [winning today] was a culmination of that commitment those guys had. They weren’t just compliant with the rules, they were committed to being with each other and going fast, and I think this is another sign of how special of a year we had.”