Crews prepare for annual Head of the Charles race

As the 36th annual Head of the Charles regatta convenes once again in Boston this weekend, it would be easy for Princeton's crews to be overwhelmed by the spectacle.One of the largest regattas in the world, this year's competition boasts 20 events, 300 clubs, 6,000 rowers and an expected 300,000 spectators.

But the Tiger crews have seen the spectacle before, and they know what to expect. They're not contending with the crowds. They're focused on the competition.

As Princeton pits its best men's and women's lightweight and heavyweight boats against some of the best boats in the world, this year's event promises to challenge the Tiger crews in their first competition of the fall season.

Contenders

In last year's Head of the Charles, the top Princeton boats in each division finished in the top 10. On the women's side, the open crew finished eighth while the lightweights took fourth. The men's lightweights crossed the finish line after their Princeton Training Center compatriots and Yale for fifth place, while the heavyweights finished sixth.

"They've only been rowing for a couple weeks. It's difficult to select the boat this time of year. But we've got a good group," men's lightweight head coach Joe Murtaugh said.

Among the collegiate competitors, defending national champion Yale promises to provide stiff competition for the men's lightweights."There's a lot of luck that's involved in this race," Murtaugh said. "It's kind of a twisty, turny race. I hope that we can finish in the top five this year as well. This is the first competition, so it's difficult to predict."