As the heads season closes, there is traditionally a flurry of activity with the final and largest head races of the year, on the Tideway in London. These races are effectively the Head racing National Championships, which this year culminated in the Schools Head to close the head racing season.
The Tideway is the stretch of the River Thames between Putney and Kew, where a streaming tide, swirling currents, combined with the wind and unpredictable spring weather can make the conditions particularly challenging for rowing.
This year saw Hexham RC represented in 3 of the “big” head of the river races for the first time ever. HRC have occasionally managed to pull together an 8 or a quad for the Head of the River Race, (HORR), or the Vesta International Masters Head of the River Race, (VIMHORR), or the Womens Head of the River Race, (WEHORR), but we have never had entries in the Schools Head of the River Race, (SHORR). This year we had HRC members racing in 3 of the big 4 HORR events.
All the races are raced over the boat race course, in reverse, rowing downstream from Mortlake to Putney on the outgoing tide. The HORR took place on Saturday 22nd March, VIMHORR on Sunday 23rd and SHORR on Tuesday 25th March.
WEHORR was held a few weeks earlier, but Hexham RC had no boats in that one.
Fortunately this year, the weather was kind, even benign, with fine weather and light winds for all 3 races HRC members were competing in.
Hexhams own Stu H was rowing in the Tyne RC 2nd 8 in the HORR. They finished 122nd overall out of 339 crews.
HRCs Kevin O was competing in a composite quad with Tyne and DARC in the VIMHORR race.
The composite quad won their event, Masters E4x.
This is the first ever Hexham RC win in VIMHORR and only the second ever HRC victory on the Tideway.
The 2 junior quads were racing in the SHORR.
Emma N, Esme P, Emily L and Belle C in a girls Championship 4x and Ethan T, Joe G, Ronan McG and Jacob L in the boys Championship quads. Both crews performed amazingly in their Tideway debuts, against all the top junior quads in the UK.
The boys finished 21st out of 32 crews.
The girls were 11th out of 34 crews.
These were outstanding performances across the club on the national stage, especially from the juniors in their first ever Tideway competition.
Little old HRC continues to punch above our weight.
Well done all.
Now it’s regattas and time to sprint!
