Father-and-son Tiburon rowers share bond while tackling Boston’s iconic Head of the Charles

Tiburon father and son Brian and Felix Davis pose for a selfie ahead of the Directors’ Challenge Parent-Child Doubles race Oct. 19 as part of the 2025 Head of the Charles Regatta, which ran Oct. 17-19 in Boston’s Charles River. At left they’re seen Oct. 21 at the Marin Rowing Association’s Greenbrae boathouse. (via Davis family)

For Brian and Felix Davis, rowing is a family affair.

The Tiburon father and son competed in the Directors’ Challenge Parent/Child Doubles race during the 2025 Head of the Charles Regatta Oct. 19, the final day of the three-day annual regatta on the Charles River in Boston. The regatta is considered the largest in the sport by participants.

Both Davises row in eight-person sweeps in their respective age groups at the Greenbrae-based Marin Rowing Association, where they train six days a week. In sweeps, each rower uses a single oar while a ninth person serves as coxswain. Like father, like son: both row port side.

The parent-child race offered a unique opportunity for Brian and Felix to try sculling, where rowers propel the boat with two oars and no coxswain.

“It’s kind of helpful for the regular rowing stroke in our other boats because it helps with a balance aspect and putting everything together,” says Felix, a junior at Redwood High School. “And I think it actually helps apply to our other boats also, which is really great.”

Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

Comment on this article on Nextdoor.