HEAD OF THE HOOCH

NOVEMBER 6 | CHATTANOOGA, TN HEAD OF THE HOOCH

After rising before the sun, Emory Crew embarked on their journey to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the second regatta of the season. Head of the Hooch, dubbed “The Last of the Great Fall Regattas” , is one of the largest head races in the nation, attracting clubs from all corners of the country. Upon arrival, the team immediately noticed the thick layer of fog covering the entire Tennessee River. Patiently tracking fog-delay updates via Twitter every 10-15 minutes, the team bundled up with hand warmers and blankets to wait out the delay.

An hour and a half later, the river was finally cleared of fog, and the Men’s Varsity 4+ immediately launched for their race against 39 other boats. The Women’s Varsity 8+ was the next to race, with novice rowers Kelsey Marks ‘22 and Elia Hunt ‘24 pulling through as 4 and 3 seat, respectively. Not unusual for Emory Crew, the boat was rowed for the first time in that lineup. Seasoned stroke seat, Manoela Dos Santos ‘24, successfully led the crew through the finish line. Once docked, varsity rower Olivia Ralston ‘23 hopped out of 2 seat of the eight and into the coxswain seat of the Men’s Novice 4+ , steering the crew down a windy course.

Following a morning of browsing the regatta’s vendors and embracing the chilly weather, the Women’s Novice 8+ launched, ready to give their race their all. Shortly afterwards, the Women’s Varsity 4+ took their shot at the course, finishing 15th out of 30 boats.

With another solid day of racing in the books, the team headed home encouraged by the gains made since Secret City and determined to progress even further at Head of the South.