UMPIRES

The Head Of The Charles Regatta (HOCR) is a unique rowing event in Cambridge, Massachusetts, occurring over the second-to-last full weekend in October.  It routinely attracts 12,000 athletes, who compete in approximately 2,600 boats.  2,000 volunteers, coordinated by a volunteer leadership team and supported by a board of directors and professional staff, create, install, implement and resolve all aspects of the event to deliver a world-class competitor and spectator experience.  The HOCR is a USRowing-registered regatta.

Umpires have a valuable role at the HOCR: observing racing to confirm adherence to the rules and identify any safety issues, reporting safety issues following the established protocol, penalizing poor behavior, and distinguishing between aggressive competition and/or unsafe or unfair tactics.  In addition, umpire team members provide necessary logistical support to enable the umpires to focus on the competitors.  This site explains the structure of the HOCR, how the umpire team fits in that structure, and what umpire team members can expect from their participation.

Regatta Structure

The HOCR management structure includes several groups of people, all of which must work together to provide a seamless racing experience.  The structure includes the following:

• Board of Directors – The HOCR’s governing body oversees the competitive objectives, community interactions, and financial viability of the regatta.
• Professional staff – This team manages the day-to-day operations of the regatta throughout the year including sponsorship, infrastructure coordination, and operational details.
• Race Executive Committee – Brendan Mulvey, the 2024 HOCR Race Director, leads the Race Executive Committee. The Executive Committee manages over 30 operational committees and is comprised of liaisons with the various underlying committees. The Umpires constitute one such operational committee.
• Race Operations Committee (Race Ops) – Each function needed to run the regatta is overseen by a specific committee. These committees recruit, organize, train, and manage the many volunteers who execute those functions (examples include: Emergency Services (Net Control), Cyclists, River Control, Umpires, etc.).  Together, the leads of all volunteer committees form Race Ops.  Race Ops members meet throughout the year, and then at least once per week for the eight weeks leading up to the regatta.
• Umpire Committee – The Umpire Committee consists of approximately 110 people: 80-85 Umpires; 5 in Umpire Central; 5 in Appeals;  and 5-10 Umpire Support team members. The Umpire Committee has six Race Ops representatives: Kirsten Meisner, Lyssa Bayne, Liz Jenista, Sally Ruderman, Rachael Sundborg, and Kate Suyo.  We are the contacts for any member of the Umpire team.
• Chief Referee – The Chief Referee certifies that the regatta meets the standards of safety and fairness set by USRowing through its registered regatta program.  The 2024 Chief Referee is Kirsten Meisner.