We have reached our limit of 300 crews. Entries remain open but only onto a waiting list.
One of the biggest Tideway rowing heads and the first of the winter rowing season.
Course: Chiswick Bridge (University Post) to Fulham Reach (between Hammersmith Bridge and Harrods Depository) on the ebb tide.
Statement on the stream
(issued Thursday 22nd January)
The Quintin Head committee continues to monitor the tidal gauge at Richmond and notes that in the last tidal cycle the low tide reading has increased from 2.32m to 2.49m. Should the reading change to a value of 2.6m or above then the PLA’s fluvial flow flag will change from yellow to red. We believe that there is a significant likelihood of this happening over the next 48 hours.
If the flag does change to red at any point between now and the time of the race then the race will be cancelled and partial refunds will be made to all crews once we have ascertained what costs cannot be avoided.
If the flag remains yellow, then the race will go ahead as planned and no competitors will be excluded. However, crews and their coaches must be aware that there will be a very strong stream running. When risk assessing their own crews’ ability to marshal and compete in the race, coaches must consider the PLA’s yellow flag advice, which is: “PLA advise man-powered vessels: Beginners, novices, younger junior (J15’s and younger), or any weaker crews, and those that do not usually navigate on the tidal section of the River Thames not to go afloat on the ebb tide. All river users of man-powered vessels should navigate with extreme caution and consider whether it is safe for them to go afloat on the ebb tide.”.
The Quintin Head committee recommends a cautious attitude to risk-assessment for the race: please do not boat crews for the race if you have any doubts as to their ability to cope with the conditions, whether that’s the temperature or the stream. If, as a result of the yellow flag conditions, you decide to scratch from the race we will refund your entry fee (the intention is to refund in full however, depending on the number of withdrawals, we may have to make a partial refund if making full refunds were to mean that our costs were not covered).
Countdown to the 2026 Race
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Key Details
Race start: 9:30am Sunday 25 January 2026
Course: Chiswick Bridge (University Post) to Fulham Reach
Number of crews: 300
Opening time for entries: 12 noon Tuesday 9 December 2025
Entry Fee – £136 per crew
This site is always aimed at the current race but carries all past results.
A Note on Timing
We aim to publish the results as quickly as possible. However, they may initially contain some errors and will therefore be marked as ‘provisional’.
Any Masters handicaps and penalties awarded by the Chief Umpire will then be added.
Timing a head race depends on matching separate streams of data for crew number and time at both start and finish. Occasionally a time may initially be matched to the wrong crew.
The Quintin Head is timed with three separate systems and photographs are taken of crews as they cross the line. As soon as possible after the end of the race – and, we hope, during the race – provisional results based on just one of the timing systems will be put online. The results from the three systems will then be compared. The official results will be published only once all discrepancies and protests have been resolved. At that stage the ‘provisional’ label will be removed.
If you suspect there are errors in the provisional results, please email chiefumpire@quintinhead.org