Welcome ‘24HOTY

Congratulations on securing a race place in the 2024 Head of the Yarra - Australia’s Rowing Classic. Many crews have missed out on the waitlist due to the race’s capacity limit of 300 crews. This year’s racing will commence at 9am on Saturday 23rd November 2024.

The racing this year will be staged across 4 brackets, commencing with schools and elder masters in bracket 1 at 9am and finishing with the fastest elite open crews in bracket 4, hitting the water around 1.30pm. The Rowing Manager live race schedule showing start times can be found at this link <2024 HOTY Race Draw >

This year we have GPS tracking on all crews with on-course cameras and race vision providing a Webcast on <the Head of the Yarra website>. Our race technology partner REGATTA SOLUTIONS will be presenting an award for “THE COX OF THE COURSE” for the coxswain steering the shortest distance as measured by GPS tracking units. A progressive tally of the leading Top 10 coxswains will be broadcast throughout the telecast.

1. Race Overview

The Head of the Yarra is an event exclusively for rowing Eights. It is an 8 km time trial with a running start from the Henley Judges box in Melbourne to the Bridge Road in Hawthorn. The river is closed to the public from Victoria Street Bridge, Hawthorn to St Kilda Rd - Prince’s Bridge from 6.30am until the race finishes around 4 pm. All crews can therefore row the best line up the entire length of the course using the whole width of the river. The Head of the Yarra is a true coxswain’s race. The smallest member of the crew must motivate their charges, navigate the 11 bridges, the tight bends, and the competing eights, for the best line and fastest time over this challenging course.

At the Start Line on Boathouse Drive, just off St Kilda Road in Melbourne, you’ll find everything you need to kick off race day in style. Grab a coffee, browse rowing merchandise, and stop by the selfie wall with your crew for some pre-race photos. Two marquees will be set up to provide food, refreshments, and rowing essentials. A Sykes boat repair van will be on hand for any last-minute adjustments, while First Aid and Information services are available nearby. Plus, keep an eye out for our roaming reporters, as you might feature in our live stream or social media! Follow along on Facebook and Instagram @headoftheyarra for updates and highlights.

At the Finish in Hawthorn, all boats are to be racked in the Yarra Bank Reserve at the completion of your race. The parklands are transformed into a rowing carnival with music, food & drink stalls and suppliers of goods of interest to rowers. Please ensure you bring a credit/debit card (cashless transactions preferred) comfortable footwear, sun-smart clothing and your party face to enjoy an afternoon of fun and celebration prior to the river being re-opened at race close, to those who wish to return their boats downstream.

There is a new 80 metre long floating staging at the race finish at Hawthorn. Our friendly volunteers will assist crews to berth and to find racking for your boats and oars, so you can find a spot in the parklands to celebrate your row.

For those who may need to return to the start, the 48 and 75 tram routes down Bridge Road to Flinders Street provide a return route with an easy walk back to the start precinct. You will require a MYKI card to use public transport.

2. Course & River Closure

River closure for all river craft, including non-competing crews from schools & clubs, is from 6.30am on Saturday 23rd November 2024.

The exception is for competing crews transiting to the start line. Crews participating in the race and wanting to row downriver to the start, make sure your crew is off the water at the city end by 7.45am. Racing starts at 9.00am. After the conclusion of racing, the river will re-open after the Rowing Victoria Course Umpire clears the river, this is expected to be around 315 pm.

3. START PROCEDURE

• Crews line up four-abreast across the river.

• Crews need to be at the start within their grid position 5 mins before their scheduled race time.

• Crews late to the start will incur time penalties.

• From Rowing Victoria’s Head Racing Rules and Guidelines: “For head racing, all starts should be running and crews should be started approximately 20-40 meters from the timing point”.

Please remember, when the starter calls your crew number and “GO”, it’s a running start, so build up speed gradually. Your race time will not commence until you pass the Judges Box.

4. HEAD OF THE YARRA OVERTAKING RULE

• A boat is deemed to be overtaking when it has its bow ball within half a length of the stern of the boat in front.

• When this occurs the slower boat must not block or obstruct the faster crew.

• The faster boat must be prudent and delay the act of passing if a pass cannot be accomplished without incident.

• In all instances, all crews must obey the instructions of race umpires aligning the banks of the river.

In practical terms:

• A slower crew must yield to a faster crew as soon as practicable.

• The faster crew must wait until it is safe to pass – “spearing” a slower crew on a bend is not safe or practicable.

• If a faster crew gets stuck behind a slower crew in a narrow section of the river, so be it.

• Passing is much easier in the first half of the race.

5. WHERE PASSING IS NOT PERMITTED

Overtaking is not permitted between the Power Street fishing landing about 150m downstream of Leonda landing and Wallan Road Bridge.

Boats attempting to overtake must yield to the boat in front.

The penalty for disobeying an umpire’s instructions in this area will be a minimum of 20 seconds.

6. FINISH AREA

A congested finish area poses a serious safety risk.

Please keep rowing beyond the finish line, do not stop, and listen for directions from a course umpire.

If the area upstream of the finish line is congested your crew may be asked to proceed further upstream of the turning buoys e.g. Old Carey Ramp or Victoria Street Bridge.

When you reach the staging remove your boat from the water ASAP.

You will need to carry your boat from the staging area to the storage racks so bring easy to slip on footwear in the boat with you. Bare feed are not allowed as the bitumen can become very hot.

We direct crews to fill boat racks from the rear of the reserve, furthest from the finish staging.

Once you have racked your boat, please immediately return to the staging and remove your oars or have someone remove them for you as soon as your boat docks at the staging.

7. Winners Medal Presentations

There will be 2 Medal presentations:

• The first at 12pm at the staging area to the south of the Hawthorn Rowing Club for Races from the morning’session’ 2 race brackets

• The second at 3.00 pm at the main staging in the parklands, at the conclusion of races, for the last 10 categories from Brackets 3 & 4, plus the award of “Cox of The Course” for shortest distance travelled over the course as measured by GPS trackers fitted to each boat.

8. POST RACE RETURN DOWNSTREAM TO CITY STAGING

Correct boating behaviour must be observed when returning to the VRA City landing. Coxswains please be aware that authorities enforce .05 alcohol limits on all those in charge of vessels on Victorian waterways.

International Collision Regulations rule 9- narrow channels dictates “a vessel proceeding along the course of a narrow channel or fairway shall keep as near to the outer limit of the channel or fairway which lies on her starboard side as is safe and practicable”. In other words “stay to the right side of the river”.

9. COXSWAINS’ COURSE BRIEF

YouTube video with an overview of the entire course. Provides advice on best racing line, and steering through the 11 bridges and tackling the notorious “Big Bend”.

10. PARKING & SECURITY

City End : Boat trailer parking is available on Boathouse Drive.

Security is provided from 10am Friday 22nd November to 6am Saturday 23rd November. Boat are to be stored in one of two designated zones – Peppercorn & Engineers Lawn.

Hawthorn End :Limited Boat trailer parking on Creswick Street. All roadside spots are now booked out.

Security from 8pm Thursday to 6.00am Friday and 8.00pm Friday to 6.00am Sunday. Boat storage available until 4.00pm Saturday 23 November.

11. CREW REGISTRATION, Bow Numbers GPS TrackinG Units and T-Shirts

Bow Numbers and GPS tracking units are to be picked up at on Saturday 23rd November (race day) in front of the MUBC sheds at the Start area in the City. If picking up for multiple crews, please ensure the GPS tracker and bow numbers are not mixed as they are programmed to the allocated bow number.

Complimentary competitor crew T-shirt packs can be picked up after 1pm on Friday 22nd at the Hawthorn Rowing Club or on Saturday 23rd November (race day) at any time throughout the day at the Rival Kit stall located in the finish carnival area at Hawthorn.

12. CONTINGENCY PLANNING

Contingency plans are in place for:

• Moving the start line.

• Moving the finish line.

• Delaying the start.

• Suspending racing

• Restarting racing 

HOTY social media channels will be active prior to and during the eventwith updates should weather or river conditions be problematic.