As the sun peeked through the clouds over Peacock Pond, the Head of the Peacock race was on full display. Students from all over campus flocked to the event in anticipation of a great display of craftsmanship, school spirit and many laughs. With 18 boats and over 100 students participating, the regatta certainly lived up to its billing as one of the highlights of Spring Weekend.
In preparation for the Head of the Peacock race, students teamed together to build and design their own homemade water vessels. As in previous years, the 2013 Head of the Peacock entertained the crowd with an array of impressive concoctions and humorous failures.
While some boats could not manage to make it off the starting line, others performed impressively on the pond. Most notable were two boats that managed to bring home the honor of championship bragging rights in their respective divisions.
In the small boat division, Structural Damage, captained by Griffin Hanley ’13, Kyle Kiernan ’13 and Sam Neill ’13, lapped the competition in their three-man vessel. Winning their first race by default, the team advanced to the finals full of energy and charisma. Facing off against three other boats, Structural Damage dominated the competition from the opening gate and easily completed the race before its opponents could even challenge it. Before returning to the dock, Structural Damage took a victory lap around the pond, its team members showing off their award-winning vessel for the hundreds gathered.
In the big boat division, Beheamoth dominated all competition from the opening heat. The six-person ship, manned by Ryan Barrette ’15, Emma Corwin ’16, Lindsay Curtin ’15, Stephanie Drake ’16, Hao Lu ’15 and David LeFleche ’14, left everyone in its wake with the structurally well-designed boat and strong team dynamic. Masked with face and body paint, Beheamoth’s sailors cruised through the first round and the championship races without a semblance of a challenger.
The Head of the Peacock did not disappoint in 2013 with another year full of laughs and fun times. With next year’s regatta marking the 25th anniversary of the maiden voyage of Wheaton ships, the anticipation and excitement is already growing for an all-around great event.