In mid-October 2025, seven Trinity women rowers representing Dublin University Ladies Boat Club (DULBC) traveled across the pond to race in the 60th Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is the first time a DULBC crew has raced at HOCR under the DULBC name, which marks a huge step forward for the club as we expand our competitive reach further afield.
The Head of the Charles is the biggest three-day regatta in the world and attracts talent from around the world, including Olympians and world champions watched by over 300,000 spectators. This year's event saw nearly 3,000 crews, or around 11,000 athletes, race the 4.8km (3-mile) course from just before the Boston University Bridge, past Harvard Square, up and around the Allston horn, through Eliot Bridge - a spot notorious for crashes - to finish just before Northeastern University Boathouse in Brighton, MA.
Most head races are about strategy and thus become races between coxswains. HOCR, however, is a different animal altogether. With hundreds of crews on the course at once, six bridges to navigate over less than 5K, and four big bends, there are countless ways to approach the course.
Racing the Charles can be overwhelmingly chaotic, but cox Dylan McGrath, a DULBC-rookie but experienced HOCR cox, kept her cool throughout, expertly navigating blade clashes and the 90-degree Eliot Bridge turn, allowing her crew to do what they do best: row. DULBC came 15th in the Women’s Club 4+ category, racing against 52 other crews, including our old foe UCD.
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Though the racing was of course the main event, we were honoured to be invited, alongside other Irish crews competing in the regatta, to the Irish Consulate General’s residence for a reception to recognize the step-on that Irish rowing has taken in the past few years and in celebration of DULBC’s 50th anniversary, coming up in January. In addition to lovely conversation and a seemingly endless rotation of hors d'oeuvres, we were treated to a panel discussion, “Pulling Together: Lessons from Women in Rowing for Life and Work”. Those in attendance heard from Liv Coffey, US Olympian and three-time world champion; Patrick Ryan, head coach of the Cambridge University BC women; and none other than Jane Williams, DULBC founding member and current Rowing Ireland President.
Racing the Head of the Charles is a bucket-list item for any rower and our experience in Boston this year did not disappoint. We are so grateful to our alumni, the generosity of whom is what allowed this milestone to happen. Special thanks as well to the Trinity Association & Trust for their flexibility and support not only with HOCR, but with various other projects in the past. Finally, no amount of thanks is enough for Tara Justin of the TDA who works tirelessly fundraising for us, pushing our club to ever-greater heights.
Learn more about DULBC on their Trinity Sport webpage or their Instagram page.