Photo Credit: Rowing New South Wales
The Head of The Yarra is undoubtedly Australia’s premier head race. Open only to eights, the eight-kilometre course winds its way from Boathouse Drive on the fringes of Melbourne’s CBD, against the stream all the way to Hawthorn Rowing Club in the north. The race is as much of a test of a coxswain’s nerve on the strings as it is of the rower’s endurance. Tight bridges, low-slung trees, and the infamous big bend – a 90-degree curve at the four-kilometre mark with a tight exit that decided last year’s result – stand in the way of a crew’s tilt at victory.
Last year, this event was marred by drama. Reigning champions Sydney Rowing Club started first, but were overtaken before big bend by Melbourne University Boat Club. However, an uncharacteristic mistake from 2021 Olympic Coxswain James Rook sent them wide on the exit. Sydney coxswain Tess Harris capitalised, turning the boat with her arm in the water and taking back track position as they entered the twisty second half of the race. By the time they reached Hawthorn, Sydney was 10 seconds ahead before MUBC was stung with a 10-second penalty to add insult to injury. This year, Sydney once again starts first, with MUBC second. Harris and Rook are back at the helms of their crews, and we’re sure to see another furious battle on the Yarra.
Kand Rowing Club
From the humble beginnings of ‘Tin Shed Rowing’, Kand have enjoyed an incredible run of success in recent years, culminating in an U23 and Olympic medal in 2024. This year’s crew is a marked step up from previous years and should be closer to the front of the pack. Jarrod Lord and Mitch Salisbury are both competing, after last week being announced as a part of the 2025 National Training Centre intake, and will bring with them the firepower that won them a Silver medal in the four at this year’s U23 World Rowing Championships. As this race is so heavily reliant on the coxswain, Kand will be glad to have U23 bronze medallist from the eight Jono Cooke at the helm to guide them through the endless turns of the Yarra. Kand will certainly be looking to upset the status-quo this year, however starting from sixth will mean they’ll likely need to get some serious overtakes done early on to be competitive.
Melbourne University Boat Club
Second place holders in the past two runnings of this event, Melbourne University Boat Club will have a point to prove on their home waters. The last time MUBC won this event was way back in 2015, when there were only two competitors. This year’s entry is stroked by 2022 World Championship bronze medallist Rohan Lavery and is joined by 2025 National Training Centre members Charlie Batrouney, Harry Fox, Fraser Miscamble, and Nick Smith. It’s clear by recent form that this crew, as individuals, has the momentum behind them to snag a win. Coxswain James Rook has called the Yarra home for his entire rowing career, and is certainly the most experienced coxswain in this field. If he can avoid a repeat of last year’s efforts around the big bend, MUBC will be seriously hard to beat.
Mercantile Rowing Club
One of the oldest clubs in Australia, Mercantile have been in a rebuilding phase over the past two years. As it stands, Mercantile are the only club to triumph over Sydney since the regatta started attracting interstate entries in 2016, doing so that year. This year’s crew features 2024 Henley Royal Regatta semi-finalists Harry Cathcart, Oli Scalzo, and Jake Polkinghorne. Joining them will be U23 silver medallists Austin Reinehr and Dom Frederico. At last weekend’s 3500m Melbourne Head, Mercs finished just six seconds adrift of neighbours MUBC, an extremely promising result for a crew that, on paper, should be much further behind. After some sharpening this week, Mercantile could be a dark horse, riding through to upset the results.
Sydney Rowing Club
The reigning champions of this event, Sydney are eyeing off the chance to make it five in a row on Sunday. The club have only lost this event once since they began making the trip down the Hume: in 2016, when they collided with an errant masters crew who had beached themselves at big bend. This year’s crew sees Torun Olsson and Alex Nichol returning from the past two winning combinations to bring some experience to the crew. They’ll be steered by coxswain Tess Harris, who, after last year’s efforts, was dubbed ‘Queen of the Yarra’ by rival James Rook. The remainder of the crew all have international racing experience at either Henley or U23 Worlds in the past three years. Though they may lack the big names and firepower of the local favourites, MUBC, race-winning experience at this regatta is certainly hard to come by. This race means a lot to those who have won it before, and Sydney certainly won’t be giving it up without one hell of a fight.
Prediction
This is a tough race to call. Wind, tides, traffic, equipment, and, of course, steering all play a massive role in the outcome of this contest. And that’s before you consider who can hang on to their speed the best through 8km of racing. On paper, I’d have Melbourne University Boat Club for a win here. The horsepower and home-water advantage should simply be too strong. However, only one coxswain in the field has steered a winning course here, and she’s sitting in the Sydney stern. This will be a tight race with a high chance of drama, but I think the boys in sky blue will hold on by the narrowest of margins.
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