Mere days from now, the city of Boston will be bustling with teams from all over the world, all to bring home gold from the Head of the Charles. From Olympians to U17 athletes, the 4,702-meter course will host some of the most competitive races of the year. Particularly on Sunday, 19th October, 51 youth women’s quads will be flying down one of the most challenging regatta courses in the world. As a head race, the Head of the Charles requires not only speed and technique, but also endurance and incredible mental strength. With the top sculling programmes globally attending, it is bound to be a tight contest. The leaders of this group are:
Los Gatos Rowing Club
Hailing from Santa Clara, California, Los Gatos is returning to the Charles River to defend their 2024 win. Founded in 1979, Los Gatos has consistently demonstrated why it is known as one of the top youth sculling programmes in the world. With a team of around 150 athletes, Los Gatos dominated the quads at USRowing Youth National Championships, claiming gold in three out of four events – one of them being the Women’s Youth Coxless Quad. “The Cats,” as their name translates to, completed a “North American Treble” with their Women’s Youth Quad in the 2024-25 season; winning 1st at the Head of the Charles, the San Diego Crew Classic, and the above-mentioned USRowing Youth National Championships. Los Gatos’s Women’s Youth Quad is no stranger to the podium at the Head of the Charles, finishing fifth in the event in 2022 and 2023, eventually winning the gold over Redwood Scullers in 2024. After a strong year of victory in the United States racing scene, Los Gatos is expected to return with the same fierceness and battle for a repeat at the Head of the Charles.
Redwood Scullers
Redwood Scullers, another team from the US West Coast, is fighting to reclaim their 2024 reigning title after coming second to Los Gatos in 2025. In the past, Redwood Scullers have been one of the leading sculling programmes for junior athletes, sending multiple athletes to the U19 National Team and getting to the finals of the Diamond Jubilee Cup at Henley in 2022. Additionally, Redwood Scullers consistently have two or more boats on the podium at the Youth National Championships, including their 2024 Women’s Youth Coxless Quad winning gold at the event. Since 2021, Redwood Scullers have been in the top three for this HOCR event, claiming the gold in 2024. In 2025, the Scullers will look to battle Los Gatos for the Gold.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
In addition to the United States clubs, coming all the way from Oxfordshire, England, Headington School Oxford Boat Club (HSOBC) will strive to surpass its third-place result in last year’s Head of the Charles. Founded in 1991, HSOBC made its post-pandemic debut in the Women’s Youth Coxed Quad in 2024, rowing itself to the podium. Although HSOBC may be relatively new to the United States Racing scene, they are known throughout England for excelling in junior regattas, with seven out of nine boats qualifying for the Junior Sculling Regatta’s A Finals. Specifically, the Headingtonians secured first place in the Women’s Championship Quad B-final (seventh overall) at the National Schools’ Regatta, demonstrating their excellence in this particular event. HSOBC brings international variety to an event featuring various competitors who have already raced against each other, setting the stage for a potential upset. With a team of skilled athletes, HSOBC is in strong shape to bring their dominance to the US.
St. Catharines Rowing Club
One of the many crews representing Canada in the 2025 Women’s Youth Coxed Quad 2025 will be St Catharines Rowing Club (SCRC). Founded in 1880, SCRC has a rich history as a pioneer team of Canadian rowing. With the Canadian Henley course as their stomping grounds, the girls at SCRC have become a force to be reckoned with in the post-pandemic sculling scene. At the 141st Canadian Henley, one of the most competitive races for international juniors that is not tied to World Rowing, SCRC’s Women’s Youth Quad placed second with an astounding time of 6:47.91 – only 0.7 seconds off of first place. Last year at the Charles, St. Catharines rowed themselves to fourth place overall, staying consistently in the position throughout the different time markers at Charles (Riverside, Weld, and CBC), not only proving their strength, but also the coxswain’s ability to steer throughout the course. In 2025, all should look out for a potential podium placement from St. Catharine’s.
Additional Mentions
Although past results show a club’s track record and can help predict future results, they are never definitive. Almost anything could happen between the DeWolfe Boathouse starting line and the Hector Park finish line. Other clubs in this event who’ve had strong recent seasons include Waterford Crew and Founders Rowing Club, both of whom came right behind Los Gatos in the Women’s Youth Quad at the USRowing Youth National Championships in 2025. In addition, One Arlington Rowing and Nereid Boat Club rounded out fifth and sixth place last year at the Head of the Charles in this event. These teams meet the criteria and have the potential to reach the podium in the upcoming race this year.
Final Predictions
The Charles River waters will be tense as boats make their way up to the start line this Sunday. This will be a highlight race for all in the junior rowing community, as well as for college coaches in terms of recruitment. Consistency across all time markers at Riverside, Weld, and Cambridge BC are the key to a successful win at Charles. With that being said, I predict that Los Gatos Rowing Club will take the gold this year in the Women’s Youth Quad, with HSOBC causing an upset and claiming the silver, while Redwood Scullers takes the bronze. Rounding out the pack, I predict that Nereid Boat Club and One Arlington Rowing will take fourth and fifth. Yet even with these predictions being based on past results, they are only that- predictions. The world will have to wait and see what comes next weekend on the Charles.
