"Oh, it's great fun," O'Leary says laughing. "We all like to think we're young and strong. At one point, we used to contend, but our fantasies are starting to slip away from us."

Parker will be out there as well, rowing in a double with his son, David. Parker has been in the Head since 1973 and says that racing is, well, fun.

"Some people are very competitive," Parker says. "But I think it's fun. It's nice to have a large crowd cheering you on."

Racing in perhaps the most widely attended crew event in the nation, competitve rowers say they have different ways of dealing with the crowds of spectators that line the Charles.

Brooks, for instance, admits to "spacing out" while rowing and to not even hearing the crowd.

But senior Judith Dolkart, who will cox Radcliffe's top entry, says the crowd helps motivate her.

"It's not like the spring races, where there's only one crowd and it's generally at the end of the race," Dolkart says. "Here, more people you know are watching you and it psyches you up as you go along."

Gee, a home-river advantage. Who knows? In acompetitive race--like the BU/Radcliffe/Princetontrio--that could end up being the difference.All's fair in love and racing.

So if you're standing on the banks of theCharles tomorrow wondering why these students,coaches and full-time athletes choose to rowrather than relax on an October Sunday afternoon,just remember: it's fun. And competitive--on anindividual level.

Will Army beat Navy? How's that Canadian teamdoing? Most importantly, is Radcliffe ahead of BUand Princeton