11th Head of the Quinobequin

  • Hosted By: Cambridge Boat Club, Community Rowing, Inc., Riverside Boat Club, Union Boat Club

The Head of the Quinobequin (Quinn-no-beh-kin) is a juniors-only, single sculls only, time trial-format rowing "head race" that takes place on the Charles River on the second Sunday in October.  Quinobequin is a Native American name for the Charles River. 

The race is an homage to Italy's Kinderskiff.  Several of the "Q's" founders, seeing that race and the 400 young scullers competing annually in it, had the realization that to improve sculling in the US, we need more kids sculling, and to get more kids sculling, we need more races.  Any net surplus of entry fees after expenses are donated to RowBoston, with the expressed desire to identify and encourage middle school scullers in the cities, towns and communities adjacent to the river.

2013 Q-1 79 competitors.

2014 Q-2 100 scullers.

2015 Q-3 125 entrants.

2016 Q-4 143 entries.

2017 Q-5 148 entries

2018 Q-6 135 registrants

2019 Q-7 112 competitors

2021 Q-8 199 competitors

2022 Q-9 167 competitors

2023 Q-10 203 competitors (over 1400 cumulative race times)

The race course stretches 3000 meters from Cambridge Boat Club to Community Rowing.  It starts at the Eliot Bridge in Cambridge/Boston, and runs upstream to Brighton/Watertown, finishing in a stadium-like setting in front of the Beacon Street Bridge.

Please email the regatta/event host with any related questions