Two Wins for GRP Rowers at 51st Head of the Charles Regatta

Willy Cowles and Potomac's Sam Stitt with Abigail Cromwell and the Cromwell Trophy: awarded to the winner of the Men's Championship Double (Photo: Abigail Cromwell)

Last Updated: 20.Oct.2015

The Green Racing Project brought home two wins this weekend at the 51st Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston.

Willy Cowles (Farmington, Connecticut) won Saturday’s Men’s Championship Double with partner Sam Stitt from Potomac Boat Club. The two beat out the Green Racing Project entry of Peter and Tom Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio), who placed second. The Graves had a faster time down the course than Cowles and Stitt by split seconds, but their final time was effected by a 5 second penalty from missing a buoy. This allowed Cowles and Stitt to squeak out the Graves with a time of 17:01.955.

Sunday’s GRP win came from Hugh McAdam (Hollis, New Hampshire) in the Lightweight Men’s Single. The 2014 winner of the event, McAdam’s victory this year came in a time of 18:36.

The GRP also saw highly competitive results from the rest of the contingency. Coach and Sculling Camp Director Troy Howell kicked off Saturday’s racing with the Men’s Master Single. He placed eighth with a time of 20:29. The winner of the event was Russell Cone from Wide Load Boat Club with a time of 19:32.

The GRP filled Men’s Championship Single featured four top ten finishes. Second place finisher John Graves (Cincinnati, Ohio) was 5 seconds within winner Mahe Drysdale from West End Rowing Club. That said, 5 second penalty from missing a buoy officially set him 10 seconds back from this year’s silver medalist at the World Championships in the single with a time of 18:21. The GRP’s youngest member, Ben Davison (Durham, England), found himself among the top singles in fourth place, with a time of 18:30. Erik Frid (Madbury, New Hampshire) placed ninth, Ben Dann (Pound Ridge, New York) placed tenth, Andrew Reed (Wayland, Massachusetts) placed 11th, and Parker Washburn (Andover, Massachusetts) placed 22nd.

In the Women’s Championship Single Maggie Fellows (Warwick, Massachusetts) was the top GRP finisher in seventh place. Not far behind her was Maddie Lips (Parker, Colorado), who placed 12th. The winner of the event was Generva Stone of Cambridge Boat Club, who took the event with a time of 19:43.

The last GRP event of the weekend was the Men’s Director Challenge Quads. The doubles of the Graves, Stitt and Cowles joined forces for this boat. Despite not having the proper steering mechanism installed in their boat and having to check down their oars on the Elliot turn, the crew ran down the course in a time of 15:34. This was the fastest raw time on the day, but with a 49 second age handicap factored in, the Fruit Loops quad won the day, with the Craftsbury/Potomac ending up in second place.

The GRP rowers will continue training on Great Hosmer Pond until it freezes over and will travel down to New Jersey for the USRowing East Coast Fall Speed Order in early November. Stay tuned for more news and results.