Day Two at the 2025 Head of the Charles was balanced in its beauty from opening note to curtain call. The day shone brightly, the wind at a low ebb and the water flat and inviting, but only racing of the highest calibre could bring about justice to conditions that bore the starkest of contrasts to the previous weekend. As always, this majestic exhibition of rowing did exactly as promised, delivering a relentless production line of rivalry, camaraderie and quality.
As the morning sunrise kissed the Cambridge skyline, the men’s club singles were gracing the racetrack. Victor Corja had a blinder round the bends and moved up one place to win by just 0.49s over the three-mile course.
As the morning dew evaporated and crowds started to fill every available spot on the bank, an excitement was building ahead of the alumni eights. Over four years at university, rivalries have been ingrained and were reignited today as graduates pulled on their school colours once more.
On the men’s side, Brown Alumni were unstoppable. The crew, containing the likes of Henry Hollingsworth, demolished the rest of the field, putting 26 seconds into Old Dog’s boat of Yale old boys dripping in Olympic talent with Sholto Carnegie, Daragh Lynch, and Nick Rusher all pulling on their lycra once again.
For the women, it was a win for the Longhorn Legends in the category, while Crabtree BC climbed the rankings to second, having started in 43rd place. After colliding with Friends of Georgetown, Crabtree were left wondering what could have been as Rachel Rane’s crew took gold by just six seconds.
The Cambridge crowds were also treated to the first of the championship events. Saturday was the turn of the singles and the doubles. All eyes were on the Queen of the Charles, Michelle Sechser, who took the 2024 title in typically elegant style. In 2025, though, it was all about the returning force of nature that is Karolien Florijn. Her Parisian exploits, winning gold in peerless fashion on the Olympic stage, was the last time we saw her bestow greatness upon a rowing field, but she treated onlookers to another clinic in how to scull. Her win was just a second clear of local legend Sechser in a field that also contained 2025 world champion Fiona Murtagh, 2024 lightweight Olympic champion Imogen Grant and Canadian single sculler Katie Clark.
In the men’s event, the lore of Finn Hamill continues to gain traction. The Kiwi has already had a season to remember, unseating a series of legends in rhythmic fashion at Henley Royal Regatta, and he retained his title here on the Charles in the men’s championship single. The New Zealander was 12 seconds clear of triple Olympic champion Martin Sinkovic, who narrowly defeated Sam Melvin of the New York Athletic Club.
In the doubles, the wins were taken by Irish world bronze medallists Phil Doyle and Fintan McCarthy on the men’s side, with the women’s title going to Green Racing Project’s Sophia Calabrese and Sera Busse.
