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Every October a fleet of long, narrow boats that are propelled by determined bands of oarsman invade the Boston, Massachusetts area. Norseman making their annual raid in search of plunder they are not. These invaders are members of rowing clubs from around the world and the only reward that they seek is to leave with the title "Head of the Charles."
A "head" race is run on a three-mile course and the racing goes in only one direction. The boats race against the clock, leaving the starting line in 15-second intervals. The winner of a head race gets the title "Head of the River", and thus "Head of the Charles" for the races held on the Charles River. The first Head of the Charles Regatta was run in October of 1965 and was a one-day event. Since then it has grown into a two-day event that attracts 6000 rowers who race in 21 separate events for both men and women. Organizers claim that it has grown so much that it is now the biggest rowing event in the world, with ten per cent of the participants coming from outside the United States.
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