Women's Head has been CANCELLED please see this statement on the event website for further information.
Dear Parents and Athletes,
The Women's Eights Head of the River Race (WEHORR) is run over approximately 6800m downstream and with the tide on the River Thames from the Universtiy Pole in Chiswick to the finish line at Putney Pier (a few hundred meters upstream of Putney Bridge.
WEHORR is one of the key events of the season for Headington and one of the few events where our girls compete on a national stage against elite women's crews. HSOBC have entered two crews to race at this event.
Please note that all girls should use school transport to get to the event unless she has permission via email from the Head of Rowing to meet us at the event, if dropping your daughter off please ensure that she is there no later than 9:00am at the agreed meeting point. Athletes are responsible for finding out from their coaches where and when they need to meet on the day of the race if travelling separately from their team.
Locations:
Tideway Scullers School
Tidway Scullers School (TSS) have very kindly allowed us to boat for a pre race outing from their boathouse on the morning of the race, allowing our crews to row the full course before racing in the afternoon. If you are dropping your daughter off before the event this is where she should be dropped off. TSS is located just downstream of Chiswick Bridge on the North bank of the river; the address is as follows:
Tideway Scullers School
Dan Mason Drive
Dukes Meadow
W4 2SH
The area around TSS will be very busy on the morning of the race so they would ask that if you are dropping your daughter off in the morning that you do not park and/or leave your car on the spaces on Dan Mason Drive as these will be needed for boat trailers.
Thames RC
Headington have been given permission to boat before the race from Thames Rowing Club on the Putney embankment for this event, the address is as follows:
Thames RC
Putney Embankment
London
SW15 1LB
There is no access for parents to the boathouse and there is no parking on the Putney embankment on the day of the race. Please refer to the 'spectators' section below for the best spectator viewing options.
If you are collecting your daughter after the race, this is where she will be located when racing, derigging and trailer loading is finished.
The Draw:
The draw can be found on the event website.
The Headington crew lineups will be finalised with the girls this week. Any girls recovering from injury or illness will not race.
Training is planned to run as normal at Godstow for those J15-Senior rowers that are not racing at WEHORR. A river inspection will be done on Friday morning and a decision on whether training at Godstow is viable given the river conditions will be made shortly thereafter and communicated to the rowers.
Transport:
The bus will depart at 7:45am at the latest. Please meet outside the school gym at 7:30am.
Please note that there are boarders and girls who may be sleeping. The ROWERS MUST NOT MAKE ANY NOISE while waiting outside the boarding house.
Transport is available back from Putney however, where possible, please can parents arrange transport back from the event (there is school transport available back to school for all boarders and for any rower unable to be collected from the event). No girls may depart the event until the trailer is fully loaded.
Itinerary: WEHORR - 7th March 2020
Please note that it is the rower's responsibility that they follow the coaches instructions and the timings below. Also, once the girls boat they may have to wait on the water before racing so they will need to make sure to have had a loo stop prior to racing and have warm rowing kit available.
07:30: Meet outside school gym
07:45: Bus departs from Headington.
09:00: Bus arrives at Tideway Scullers - begin rigging boats
09:45: Warm up then boat for pre-race training row.
from 10:30: Land at Putney and rack boats at Thames RC
13:15: Dressed and ready for pre-race chat at the trailer. Warm up then boat. Please note: rowers are responsible for ensuring that they have boated in good time, rowers need to have inspected the event website and made note of boating and marshalling times. Crews that are late may not be allowed to race. I have instructed coaches that under no circumstances are they to chase girls to get boated.
by 14:15: In marshalling area (warm kit is needed as rowers may be there for a while)
14:30: Approximate start time: it could be earlier so rowers are to row straight to the start.
After the race any breakages or other equipment issues should be reported to the coaches immediately.
from 15:45: De-Rig and load trailer at Thames RC. No girl may depart before the trailer is fully loaded.
Competitor Instructions and race information
All competitors should read and familiarise themselves with the Competitor Instructions document
More safety and welfare information can also be found on the event website
Kit and Food
The girls will need:
- Water bottles with electrolyte replacement fluid.
- Food - appropriate for race day, if you are not sure what to pack please have the girls ask their coaches
- A good breakfast before departing (eg: Porridge, toast and a banana).
- Make sure to have a meal for after the race, such as pasta and banana / fruit and some food for after the training row.
- Kit: It will be cold and possibly wet so separate training and racing kit will be needed.
Make sure you have enough warm and waterproof kit for when you are sitting around. Coxes and athletes will not be allowed to boat if they are not properly attired for the weather conditions.
- Wellington boots are required for boating at both TSS and Putney
Spectating
The best place to view this race is from Hammersmith Bridge which is about 2km from the start. Viewing is also possible from several other locations along the course in particular from Chiswick Bridge (start line) and on the southern bank near Barnes Rail Bridge, there is also limited viewing of the finishing stretch from the Putney embankment. There is some on street parking nearby these locations.
The crews are set off approximately every 10 seconds so you can work out a rough start time for the Headington crews based on their crew number as published in the race draw.
The Headington 1st VIII is going of 22nd and the 2nd VIII is starting 253rd.
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