Upcoming Events
Events
There are two parts to the rowing year and two basic types of competition:
Heads
These events are run in winter from the end of September to the end of March. A head race or time trial is a timed processional race. Distances can be from 2.5km to 7km (the boat race course) but can also be longer. Each boat lines up one behind the other and races one at a time with short intervals between each other. When all the competitors have finished, the time for each to have completed the course is calculated. The fastest in each category is the winner. Some events are able to issue results in real time and others will release results 24 or even 48 hours after the race.
Regattas
These events are run in the summer from mid-April to the end of August. They involve side-by-side racing (up to seven abreast at the larger events) and are usually more exciting to watch. They take place on both rivers and lakes. Course lengths usually vary between 500m and 2000m. Most river regatta courses only allow for 2 or 3 racing lanes. Regattas involve heats, semi-finals and finals held over the course of a day. However, due to many new oversubscribed events, some regattas may use a time trial instead of a side by side heat to determine the semi-finalists. Losing crews in the earlier rounds may get another chance to advance to the next round in an extra race known as a ‘Repêchage’.
We aim to attend events throughout the year and will encourage capable rowers to attend when they are ready to do this. This is a nice way of getting our rowers to enjoy competitions, and building up to a specific event generally results in great improvements in their rowing ability and strength.
There is nothing like a goal to focus the mind. Parents are encouraged to attend and support the crews.