This Saturday, 518 crews are descending on the River Weir to compete over the 1800m course in the event self-proclaimed as ‘one of the most popular head races in the north’. And that it may well be, with such a large following requiring the spread over four divisions. As anyone who has negotiated the course will know, the demanding course necessitates careful negotiation to prevent a collision with the narrow arches of Elvet Bridge. In a humorous take, the organisers acknowledges that the event is equally popular with spectators who gather ‘to see who will clear the arches successfully’. Let’s hope the nine crews in the Junior 16 quads event don’t fall foul and end up with a shortened race!
George Watson’s College Rowing Club
Kicking off the event and leading the first pack of five off, George Watson’s College Rowing Club appear to be the frontrunners for this year’s category. In the same event last year, their school’s Junior 16 crew won the event, and their seniors (racing as open athletes) came away with the fastest overall time as well. In regard to who might be racing this year, the silver medal the Junior 15’s scored in their own category will put them in good stead and shows their awareness of the course and its ‘exciting’ variations. Only Saturday will tell if the juniors have developed enough over the past year to not only hold their place against a larger field of competitors but strive to topple the top spot and secure the victory.
Yarm School Boat Club
After securing an impressive third-place finish at last year’s race, Yarm School Boat Club is entering the 2025 season with a renewed attitude of ambition and determination. Their absence from the Tyne United New Year’s Head in January means that there is less to go on for them, but this may be to give the squad more time to hone their technique and ensure they are in peak condition for this event, building towards the bigger Tideway head events. They have been able to climb onto the podium before, the question now is if they can get back up onto the pedestal, and climb even higher.
Durham School Boat Club
Fresh off a win at the Tyne United New Years Head, Durham School Boat Club are in a good place when it comes to having established their immediate dominance of the North early on in 2025. Their racing experience (given that nationally many other events have been cancelled) can only serve them well when being thrust back into the fire of chaotic on-water conditions. A certain mark away from training, racing in such a tight stretch of river will prove challenging but their affinity with such a challenge could prove essential. Durham didn’t race last year and so their performance on this course may be uncharted, though we can expect they have been down the river at least once, and so will be weary of the Elvet Bridge arch.
Prediction
While we can’t be sure on a firm prediction given the wave of cancellations nationally, and a lack of uptake of these crews in the head races that have occurred, except the Tyne United New Year’s Head, we can be assured that the depth of each squad will provide competitive racing. However, the breadth of the event is also improving, up to nine crews in 2025 which makes claiming the top spots even more difficult in a diluted field. I’m hopeful that George Watson’s College Rowing Club could come away with the victory, closely followed by Durham School Boat Club or Yarm School Boat Club. As ever though, we can’t be sure until the last boat has crossed the line, so we’ll just have to wait until Saturday to find out!
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