2025 Head Of The Yarra News
The 2025 Head of the Yarra will be open for entry from March 5th 2025 for interstate and overseas clubs and from August 4th for Victorian clubs.
ENTRY OPENS EARLY THIS YEAR
HEAD OF THE YARRA ENTRY OPENS IN 2 STAGES THIS YEAR.
1. On March 5th Interstate and Overseas entry opens to enable these clubs and schools to reserve spots and plan their accomodation and logistics for the event.
2. On August 4th entry opens for local Victorian clubs with an entry quota reserved (based on historical Victorian race entry) to facilitate Victorian club entry.
(NOTE: Entry quotas are in place for both Victorian and Interstate entry to manage the 280 boat race capacity. Also note the only details required for entry reservations will be club, race category and a crew contact email. Crew names and seating details are required before race close, October 13th 2025).
Terms of Entry. The 2025 seat fee is $75. In a bid to better manage the race cap of 280 crews, on entry there will then be an immediate invoicing to ensure limited race slots have commitment. Payment of the entry invoice is required within 7 days. If payment has not been made within 7 days the entry will be forfeited for redistribution. Note that 50% of race fee is non-refundable. This component is treated as an entry commitment.
Entrants who missed racing on race day in 2024. Complimentary race slots have been reserved for crews whose races were cancelled last year due to heat effects in the early afternoon. These reservations will appear in the entry lists at Race Open on March 5th. Please advise if you are not taking up any of these complimentary race slots so they can be released for others.
The 2025 Race entry is capped at 280 crews. Book early when each of the entry dates arrive to reserve your crews spots for Australia’s Rowing Classic.
Hawthorn Rowing Club
2a Burwood Rd
Hawthorn 3122
Head of The Yarra 2024 - Post-Race Wrap
A wrap-up of all the action from the heat affected 2024 Head of The Yarra - Australia’s Rowing Classic.
Head of the Yarra 2024
The 2024 Head of the Yarra was held on Saturday 23rd November. With very high temperatures the 243 crews were faced with a challenging race. As the race progressed some rowers began suffering from heat stress. After a conference with the Regatta Referee and the head of Rowing Victoria along with the medical team, Hawthorn Rowing Club took the decision to cancel the final races to avoid further heat stress risk. This decision left around 32 crews without a row or without an official time. Many had come from around Australia for this iconic once a year event, however the safety of rowers was the overriding factor in this decision.
The race was conducted in accordance with the Rowing Victoria’s Heat Management Rules and both Rowing Victoria, the Regatta referee and the on-site medical team were consulted before the decision to call off further racing was made by the Hawthorn Rowing Club Head of the Yarra Organising Committee.
Rob Perkins. Head of Head of the Yarra Organising Committee
TOO HOT FOR HOTY!
Official Fastest crew in heat affected 2024 race (excludes Open Men’s, Women’s and B Grade Males) - Melbourne Rowing Club Men’s E Masters 29 min 53 sec.
RESULTS OF 63rd HEAD OF THE YARRA – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23rd 2024
Melbourne's beautiful Yarra River was the scene of today's epic boat race, with some 2200 rowers from all overAustralia and New Zealand ready to compete in 28 categories from schoolgirls to octogenarians.
The gruelling 8km course starts at historic Boathouse Drive in the heart of the city, passes the Botanic Gardens,
Melbourne's sporting precinct and Herring Island, under 11 bridges, along the winding course and around theperilous Big Bend to finish at Riverside Park in Hawthorn. Conditions were demanding with a northerly wind andtemperatures climbing to 36 degtrees.
Unfortunately, by 1.45pm, temperatures were so high that race officials made the difficult but very responsible decision to suspend racing .
At that stage 210 crews out of 243 had completed the course, including the school age crews, the oldest Masterscrews and the Para crews who started early in the day.
The fastest crew to finish the course officially was Melbourne Rowing Club Male Masters E, stroked by MatthewHarrison, in a time of 29 minutes 53 seconds. Fastest female crew was Mercantile Composite Female Masters A‐C, stroked by Robyn Selby Smith in 31:53. The fastest mixed crew was Adelaide Uni Mixed Masters D, stroked by Bill Natt, in 30:50. These were excellent times considering the demanding conditions.
Following the heat cancellation the, Male B Grade, and the Female and Male Open crews were not able to raceor record an official time. Regrettably, these categories included the fastest crews in the race with seven athletesfrom the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the schoolgirl’s first eight it was the Uni of Queensland Club crew stroked by Nell Murphy that won the day ina quick time of 33:47.
In the oldest category, the I+ class (average age 75 years and up), winners were Melbourne Uni (I class) finishingin a time of 35:06. Within that category, the Melbourne composite K class Masters crew, average age 83 yrs,finished the course in 43:51 despite the hot and humid conditions.
Two Para 8 crews competed in a a mixed adaptive 8’s format for those with disability. ANU Composite crew,stroked by Stuart John, did a time of 41:45, ahead of the Community crew from NSW stroked by Jack Calderan in 43:11.
A special category, new this year, recognises the coxwain who steers the most efficient course. The winner was Jo Cripps, coxing the Cairns Composite crew, which was measured by GPS to have covered just 7.96km to complete the nominal 8km course. Jo Cripps was a very last minute change. She is from Tablelands Country Rowing Club. She coxed them for race #16, and then took the tram back and coxed Cairns instead of Kylie Pedder. Her second run on the course was superb!
Despite the disappointment of calling off the final races, thousands of competitors still celebrated in a carnivalatmosphere at Riverside Park, next to Hawthorn Rowing Club, where cool drinks were more than welcome.
Ends…..
For media enquiries
James Lyon jameslyonesq@gmail.com
Mobile 0432 228 698
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Hawthorn Rowing Club
2a Burwood Rd
Hawthorn 3122