Although current NEIRA regulations prohibit Exeter from entering boats into the Head of the Charles, this year one boat competed in the regatta that represented a particularly notable Exonian.

Andrew Hancock Sudduth ’79 learned to row his upper year at Exeter. Olympic sculler Sharon Vaissiere taught Sudduth, Trevor Laughlin ’79, and Kate Lowry (Bryant) ’80 to scull in the fall of 1977. Sudduth and Laughlin raced in the Men’s Youth Doubles event, while Lowry raced in the Women’s Youth Singles. After rowing through his senior year at Exeter, Sudduth enrolled at Harvard and rowed in the Crimson’s heavyweight eights under the guidance of Harry Parker. At the same time, Sudduth represented the United States on an international level, competing in a number of Olympic Games and World Championships.

In 1981, only two years after graduating from Exeter, Sudduth won a silver medal in the Men’s 8+ at the Under 23 World Championships and another silver medal a few months later in the Men’s 4+ in the Rowing World Championships. He would follow up and win a bronze in the same event in 1982. In 1983, his Harvard boat came back over the University of Washington to win the (now defunct) National Collegiate Rowing Championship. That summer, Sudduth finished seventh in the Men’s 4+ in the World Championships. The next summer at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Sudduth rowed in the stroke seat of the Men’s 8+ which won a silver medal, finishing 0.42 seconds behind first-place Canada. By 1985, Sudduth, now in his senior year at Harvard, led his eight to another NCRC Championship and a Henley Royal Regatta Grand Challenge Cup win. At the World Championships, he won a silver in the Men’s Single Sculls in 1985 and a bronze in the Men’s 8+ in 1986.

After an illustrious career in rowing and later in electrical engineering, Sudduth died of pancreatic cancer in July 2006.

After his death, Kate Bryant thought of a way to honor her friend.

When my son was born at 12 lbs, Andy and I were laughing that finally, someone would break his erg records and row for Mr. Parker. Last June, George pushed away from the dock at Newell, in his first sweep boat, and I was unable to share the moment with my friend. I decided to transform the power of my loss into a positive gain for someone else, like Andy did for me; to mobilize the sad helplessness I was feeling into an active, tangible event to lend confidence to promising young rowers like we were.

Bryant made an entry in the Mixed Director’s Challenge Quad event, a special charity event held just before the Championship Eights on Sunday. Sudduth’s friends, Kate Bryant, Sharon Vaissiere, and Trevor Laughlin came from across the country to race in the “Sudduth Memorial Quad” in the regatta in which Sudduth won the Championship Singles every year from 1984 to 1988.

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The 43rd Annual Head of the Charles Regatta is almost here! This weekend, more than 8,000 athletes will row in over 50 events down the historic three mile racecourse in front of over 300,000 spectators. There will be many current and former Exonians at the regatta, on the water and off.

• The Exeter Assocation of New England will have a tent set up in Reunion Village on Saturday and Sunday (volunteers will be present from 11:00AM – 2:00PM). A $1 fee is required for all-day access to Reunion Village, the proceeds of which will benefit a local charity. Reunion Village is located on the southern (Brighton) bank of the river near the John W. Weeks Footbridge, around halfway down the racecourse and a ten minute walk from the Harvard Square MBTA station. (Click here for a map). The Village is a prime spot to view passing races and especially collisions that frequently occur as coxswains try to manage the ninety degree port turn through Weeks Bridge. So stop by, have a drink, and watch the races with other Exeter students, alumni, alumnae, parents and friends.

On the water, Exeter students and alumni/ae will join the thousands of athletes racing in the regatta. If you are competing and not listed, please send me an e-mail so I can add you.

• A Director’s Challenge Quad in memory of Andy Sudduth ’79 (pictured right) will race on Sunday afternoon. Sudduth rowed at Exeter, Harvard, and for the United States in a number of Olympic Games and Rowing World Championships during the mid-1980s. In July 2006, after battling pancreatic cancer, Sudduth tragically died at the age of 44. In memory of Sudduth’s strength of body and character, Kate Bryant ’80, Trevor Laughlin ’79, Sharon Vaissiere ’76 and one other will row in the Mixed Director’s Challenge Quad Event on Sunday around 1:09 PM.
• Andrew Safir ’08 and Vaughan Coder ’08 are rowing in the Men’s Youth Double event for Durham Boat Club on Sunday morning. Their bow number is 15, and will probably cross the starting line around 9:35AM.
• Nick Lacava ’06 and Oskar Zorilla ’06 are racing in the Men’s Lightweight Eight event for Columbia University on Sunday afternoon. Their bow number is 9, and will probably cross the starting line around 3:00PM.
• Daniel Mahr ’07 is coxing in the Men’s Championship Eight event for Brown University on Sunday afternoon. His bow number is 37, and will probably cross the starting line around 4:10PM.

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Sloan DuRoss ’95 and Deaglan McEachern ’01 have finished competing at the 2007 Rowing World Championships in Munich, Germany. This year’s regatta was particularly important because the results determined which nations qualify for which events at next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

• After a close finish in the repechage on Wednesday, the quad raced in the A semifinals on Friday. After the first 500 meters, the crew was in second place closely behind Ukraine. In the middle 1000, the quad fell back in the field following pushes from other crews. In the last 500, once contention for the A finals was out of reach, the crew dropped their stroke rating to a 30 to save their legs for the B finals (where they needed fifth place or better for Olympic qualification) and finished sixth behind Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Australia and Estonia.
• In the B finals on Sunday, the crew trailed behind Russia at the start but led Estonia, Australia, Cuba and Belarus. In the third 500, the U.S. fell behind Estonia, but maintained its position over the other three boats. In the end, the crew finished third (though less than three seconds behind first place Russia) in the B finals, successfully qualifying the U.S. for the Men’s Quadruple Sculls event at the Beijing Olympics next summer. Check out a video of the LM4- and M4x in their finals. Congratulations Sloan and Deaglan!

Five U.S. boats won medals in other events. The Women’s Eight, Men’s Coxed Four, and Women’s Four won gold, the Women’s Lightweight Single Sculls won silver, and the Women’s Single Sculls won bronze. In all, eleven U.S. boats qualified for next year’s Olympic Games, the second most of any country. Congratulations to all who competed in the regatta, and best of luck for those who are training for Beijing!

Video courtesy of Row2k.

To see complete results, check the FISA website.

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