CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women’s Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The 2022 Head of the Charles Regatta took place this past weekend with picture-perfect late October weather along the Charles River.
As they tout on their website, the Head of the Charles is "The world's largest 3-day rowing competition attracting 400,000 spectators, 11,000 competitors and 2,400 volunteers." The regatta's maiden voyage was way back in 1965, organized by members of the Cambridge Boat Club as a way to break up the monotony of training season. Few thought it those days that a boating event held in mid-autumn would draw many spectators or have much success. But time has proven the doubters wrong. The event was expanded from one day of races to two in 1997, and is now viewed not only in Boston and Cambridge but worldwide as a classic.
I have a funny Head of the Charles story to share. Back in my years working at WBCN in the 2000s, I was the midday host, but I also hosted 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday mornings. On the Saturday of the Regatta in 2003, our Promotions Director was scheduled to be on the banks of the Charles River, calling into my show with hourly updates. Shortly after I signed on at 9, I called him to set up the first update. After about 5 or 6 rings, he picked up his phone, and groggily informed me that he had gone down to the river to set up the WBCN tent early that morning, called into the DJ who was on before me to record his updates, and gone back home to bed. So much for live, local coverage of the Head of the Charles.
Head of the Charles 2022: Photos and Recap
I've gathered up some pre-race photos from this year's Regatta below. A full list of finishers can be found here. Two unrelated racers named Carlson finished atop the men's singles event, and the women's singles event top two were separated by less than five seconds!
The Top Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts
A list of the top colleges and universities in Massachusetts comes in handy at this time of year. Or at any time of year, really.
As I'm writing this, the leaves are changing on the trees outside my window. Fall in New England is a beautiful thing. It's the season for apple cider and cider donuts, apple picking and leaf peeping, pumpkin carving and Halloween. And if you're a parent with a junior or senior in high school, it's also the season for campus visits and helping your kid fill out their college applications. Technically, it's also FAFSA season. So let's try and save some money.
I'm currently navigating all of this with my 17-year-old. Luckily, he attends a high school with an amazing Guidance Department. The Director of Guidance is fantastic and has provided both my son and me and his mom with resource upon resource to help navigate the maze of common applications and campus visit scheduling and financial aid and everything else that comes along with the transition from high school to whatever lies ahead for a kid after high school. Not everyone has access to these resources, which is part of the reason I put this list together.
The Top Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts
The Top 10 Massachusetts list is culled from WalletHub's 2023’s College & University Rankings. It's quite the resource, and I encourage you to dig into or pass it along if you or someone in your circle is navigating the post-high school path. As stated in the piece, "To determine the top-performing schools at the lowest possible costs to undergraduates, WalletHub compared more than 900 higher-education institutions in the U.S. across 30 key measures." They also rank by region, which is key for kids who want to go to school out of state. But let's take a look at the Top 10 in the state of Massachusetts.
10. Brandeis University
9. Boston University
8. College of the Holy Cross
7. Boston College
6. Tufts University
5. Northeastern University
4. Amherst College
3. Wellesley College
2. Harvard University
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: Members of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing prepare to train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: A detail of the oars of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: Members of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: Members of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: Members of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: Members of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: Members of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: Members of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 20: A member of the Harvard University Men's Heavyweight Rowing team prepares to train on the Charles River on October 20, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 13: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 13, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 12: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 12, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 12: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 12, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 12: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 12, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2022 Head of the Charles Regatta - Previews
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 12: Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Women's Heavyweight Crew team train against the Boston city skyline on the Charles River in preparation for the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 12, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
