The Women's Eights Head of the River Race (WEHoRR) is a processional rowing race held annually on the Tideway of the River Thames in London on the Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.

A mirror of the Eights Head of the River for male crews, it is held a fortnight earlier when the tides are similar. It is raced on the outgoing tide and starting around one hour after high tide in order to maximise advantage from the tidal flow.

Around 300 crews of women (with the occasional male coxswain) compete for over a dozen trophies and pennants. There are categories for beginners, elite and veteran rowers.

History

The race was first held in 1927 following the first running of the men's version in 1926. At first it was simply a match between Ace and Weybridge LARC. This race was run as a side-by-side race, with Weybridge winning in a boat borrowed from Thames Rowing Club. The second year featured the same two crews, and the same result. In 1929, for the third race, there was the addition of Alpha, having formed in a split from Ace in 1927. Alpha won this running of the race.

The first running of the race in processional format was in 1930, as the entries had risen to five, making it impossible to run fairly in the side-by-side format on the tidal river. Furnivall Sculling Club (then an all women's club) won this first processional version of the race. It then continued in similar format annually until the outbreak of war in 1939.

The event restarted in 1950, with a shortened course of 2 miles, as it was felt that the effects of the war years and food rationing made the full course too hard. Entries grew from the original five to twelve by the mid 50s, and then declined to only six by the mid 60s. The lack of sectional boats meant that it was extremely difficult to transport boats from further afield, so the event was largely confined to the London clubs.

In the period from the 1970s onwards, entries rose ten-fold from 27 in 1977 to 300 in 2009.British Rowing Women's Head Prizegiving International crews have been visiting London to compete and entries have come from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and United States.

Records Award Year Time Crew Head 2014 17:42.21 Army RC/Gloucester RC/Imperial College BC/London RC/Minerva-Bath RC/Oxford Brookes University BC/Tees RC Club 2000 18:08.35 Marlow RC Overseas 2014 18:20.55 Aviron Grenoble/C Aviron Nante/ Gerardmer AS Rowing/Lagny SN/Societe d'Encouragement du Sport Nautique (FRA) Senior 2017 18:36.2 Imperial College A Intermediate 1 2011 18:53.69 Reading University BC A Provincial Club 2013 18:57.54 Nottingham RC A Intermediate 2 2007 18:59.76 Imperial Col/Jesus College (Cam)/London RC/Wallingford/Westminster University 2017 18:17.7 Cambridge University Women's BC A Masters 2014 19:02.42 Clydesdale ARC/Molesey BC/Leander Club/Marlow RC/Tideway Scullers School/Thames RC [raw time] Intermediate 3 2013 19:07.92 University of London BC A School/Junior 2017 19:15.9 Headington School, Oxford BC A Medium Club 2017 20:07.9 Exeter RC A Small Club 2017 20:26.6 St Andrew BC Novice Club 2014 19:48.19 Henley RC C Novice Academic 2014 20:01.84 Newcastle University BC C

Past winners

Year Crew Time1993Tideway Scullers School19:03.71995Kingston / Thames / Tideway Scullers18:14.61996Kingston / Thames / Tideway Scullers18:24.521997Thames RC18:52.901998Marlow RC18:28.311999Marlow RC18:33.882000Marlow / Notts County / Queens Tower / Sheffield / Thames18:06.402001Thames RC19:22.282003Imperial College BC/Kingston RC/Marlow RC/Oxford Brookes University BC/Thames RC19:36.582004Imperial College BC/Marlow RC/Reading University BC/Rob Roy BC/Thames RC/Tideway Scullers School18:18.792005Leander Club19:20.832006University of Birmingham BC/Marlow RC/Reading University BC/Rebecca/Thames RC/Tideway Scullers School19:13.612007Marlow RC/Rebecca/Tideway Scullers School/Thames RC18:14.92008Osiris BC19:32.81 2009 London RC/Hollandia RC/Thames RC/Marlow RC/University of London BC 18:28.27 2010 Gloucester RC/Imperial College BC/Marlow RC/Reading University BC/Thames RC/University of London BC 18:10.67 2011 Leander Club 18:06.57 2012 Thames RC 20:10.92 2013 Imperial College BC 18:16.57 2014 Army RC/Gloucester RC/Imperial College BC/London RC/Minerva Bath RC/Oxford Brookes University BC/Tees RC 17:42.21 2015 Army BC/Imperial College BC/London RC/Marlow RC/Minerva Bath RC/Oxford Brookes University BC/Southampton Coalporters ARC 18:58.6 2016 Leander Club/Reading RC/Tees RC 19:17.7 2017 Leander Club 18:13.1 2018 Leander Club 18:34.7 2022 Leander Club 19:15.82023Leander Club18:38.12024Leander Club18:47.22025Leander Club18:41.9

See also Rowing on the River Thames Head of the River Race Head of the River Fours

References

External links Women's Eights Head of the River Race web site