The 28th Vesta Veterans’ Head

The Vesta Veterans’ International Eights Head of the River Race is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames over the Championship Course. The direction in which the event is raced changes from year to year, dependent on the time of the tides: some years it is raced from Mortlake to Putney and other years it will be raced the other way. It is open to veteran (also known as masters) eights, who race in categories determined by the average ages of the eight rowers. The race always takes place on the day following the Head of the River Race.

The 28th Vesta Veterans’ International Eights Head of the River Race will run on Sunday, March 28, 2010.

The race will start at 1100 BST and run the ‘wrong’ way from Hammersmith to Chiswick.

The observant will recognise that this is slight shortening of the course (to around three-quarter distance) to allow marshalling in a safer environment than is available downriver of the Putney bridges. Due to the combination of tide times, daylight hours, the clock change and to allow our further flung competitors adequate return travel time on a Sunday, we always endeavour to have a morning race.

This change of direction and distance is for this year only and we intend to return to the traditional Mortlake to Putney course in 2011.

Important Documents

Key Info
General Instructions for the Vesta International Veterans Head 2010
Tideway Navigation Chart
Quick Guide to Steering on the Tideway

Marshalling and Maps

Marshalling Diagram
Diagram of Course
Finish Diagram

Entries

Entries are now being accepted using British Rowing’s online system.

If you need assistance with the British Rowing online entry system, please contact the BR team directly – they’ll be able to help in ways we cannot!

The entry fee is £80, the closing date is noon, Sunday 14th March.

Please note: Only paid entries will be included in the draw. Day tickets are no longer available. All entrants must be British Rowing members or of affiliated organisations.

If you need to borrow a boat for the event, we suggest you post a request on the Rowing Service Noticeboard or alternatively contact London-based rowing clubs directly. Vesta Rowing Club unfortunately does not have any available boats for hire for the event.

The noticeboard address is: http://noticeboard.rowingservice.com/

We continue to use the now standard FISA age limits, so A is 27 years or more (born in 1983 or earlier). There are no age restrictions on coxes. All we suggest is that they are of an age and experience to cope with their crew on the Tideway in whatever conditions we find ourselves having to combat on the day!

There are no specifically different instructions for foreign crews – it would be easier for non-UK payers to submit entries via credit card on the British Rowing system. Please email British Rowing for assistance.

Apparently some non-UK credit cards are not accepted by the OARA system (it’s to do with whether they can be charged in Pounds). If you are struggling to pay, let us know and we’ll try to sort something out with you.

Entries that have been made on the BR system but have not been paid for should be settled before the race date.

You can pay online with your BR entry or with a cheque in pounds, drawn on a UK bank.

Cheques to (payable to Vesta Rowing Club):

Vets Head Entries

Vesta Rowing Club

The Embankment

Putney

London

SW15 1LB

Novices

On BR Online we have set up single novice categories (A) for men, mixed and women. If you are older, if you could enter A but put in your notes that category in which you would like to race then we will try to accommodate that within the draw when it is compiled.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to categories with at least 3 entrants. We will combine categories in order to attempt to ensure that all racing crews are eligible for a category.

Email

Any questions: contact Chris Harrison and Sinead Hayes, the entries secretaries: email, telephone on 07973 369106 (evenings only) or Skype to username unsliced.

Results from past Vesta Veterans’ Heads can be found here.