The world’s top scullers have traveled to Boston for the Head of the Charles championship singles races

The planet’s top scullers didn’t just fly in for the foliage. The $10,000 victor’s purse, now in its third year, clearly was a lure.

“Once they put the prize money on the line the champ single definitely changed in terms of who’s showing up to race it,” said Sechser, who’s “both terrified and delighted at the same time.”

When she won two years ago, Sechser started sixth, a spot she preferred.

“I could see myself reeling people in — I’ve got one, on to the next one,” she said. “You go into hunter mode. I felt like an apex predator chasing down prey.”

Starting first, though, offers clear water and an unobstructed view of the following field.

“That’s huge,” Sechser said. “I know a lot of women behind me will be charging.”

On the men’s side, New Zealand’s Finn Hamill, last year’s surprise victor, will be bidding for consecutive titles, last managed by Norwegian former world champion Kjetil Borch in 2013.

Hamill is coming off an exceptional summer. He teamed with countryman Ben Mason to win the Henley double and earned the “Giant Slayer” label by knocking off Olympic champion Oliver Zeidler and bronze medalist Simon van Dorp on the way to the Diamond Sculls final.

Hamill will be chased by Croatia’s Martin Sinkovic, a former Olympic champion in the pair and double, and New Zealand’s Logan Ullrich, who won a Paris silver in the four.

With Sinkovic and brother Valent opting not to defend their doubles laurels, the clear favorites are Ireland’s Phil Doyle and Fintan McCarthy, who won the world bronze last month. They both rowed in the single a year ago and finished out of the top 10.

“It was just chaos,” Doyle told the Irish News. “Besides the difficult course there are so many people shouting at you and buoys reminding you to steer clear of the pontoon and bridges. You really have to look out for all the corners and obstacles.”

Doyle and McCarthy will be challenged by New Zealand brothers Robbie and Karl Manson, who are coming out of retirement. Robbie made the Olympic final last year in the double. Germany’s Sarah Wibberenz and Tabea Schendekehl are favored in the women’s event.

Early returns

When organizers added a third day to the regatta four years ago and shifted the veteran and grand master sculling events to Friday morning, there was more than a bit of grousing from the old oars. Now competitors are seeing the upside.

“Obviously, they don’t get some of the crowds that you get through the weekend,” race director Brendan Mulvey said. “But I get emails saying, ‘I enjoyed Friday, I got in, I got my race.’ If they want to, they can escape for the weekend before the madness begins.”

On the flip side?

Head of the Charles co-founder D’Arcy MacMahon marked the 60th anniversary of the inaugural regatta by racing in Friday’s grand veteran singles, using his original Sims wooden shell. It was the 86-year-old’s first Head appearance since the 50th, and he fretted that he might flip.

“My wife said, ‘Just look at it as an adventure. What’s the worst that could happen?’ ” he said. “Well, I could tip over.”

MacMahon, who raced in the winning lightweight four in 1965, made it to the finish upright and dry. Two other 1965 veterans competed in the senior veterans singles — Jim Dietz, who won seven championship singles crowns, and Lee Cole-Chu, who won the lightweight junior single six decades ago.

Controlled chaos

Friday afternoon’s traditional warm-up hurly-burly, which makes the landlubber shark-hunting free-for-all in “Jaws” look placid, is so entertaining that Head officials offered a five-hour lunch at the Eliot Bridge Enclosure. For $40, diners could “watch crews carve through the chaos of practice.” . . . Why just row for Uncle Sam at the Head when you also can be true to your school? Half a dozen members of the US men’s and women’s eights who’ll be racing in Sunday’s championship event will double up in Saturday’s alumni/alumnae races. Billy Bender and Jacob Hudgins are pulling for Dartmouth, as Gus Rodriguez is for Brown, while Kaitlin Knifton and Etta Carpender are rowing for Texas and Mia Levy for Yale. “For a lot of people that college experience was very impactful,” Mulvey said. “For those athletes to relive that and turn around the next day and dial it up again is pretty cool.”

John Powers can be reached at [email protected].