Head of the River Fours
The Head of the River Fours is a time trial for fours and quadruple sculls held each November on the tidal Thames in London. It is rowed over the Championship Course between Mortlake and Putney, a distance of about 6.8 km.
Rowers usually call it the Fours Head.
Format
Crews start one at a time and are ranked on elapsed time. There are separate categories for men and women and for each boat type.
| Boat | Rowers | Steering |
|---|---|---|
| Quadruple scull | Four, two oars each | Steered by a crew member |
| Coxless four | Four, one oar each | Steered by a crew member |
| Coxed four | Four, one oar each | Steered by a coxswain |
Quads are the fastest of the three.
Why it matters
The race falls early in the winter, so it is the first real test of the new season. National squad rowers often enter in club colours, and the fastest quads and coxless fours carry several internationals.
Steering is a large part of the result. Most boats have no cox, so one rower steers with a foot while racing, on a river with bends, bridges and several hundred other crews.
The course
The direction depends on the tide. The race is always rowed with the stream, which normally means Mortlake to Putney on the ebb.
Watching
Spectators can stand anywhere on the towpath. The bridges at Barnes and Hammersmith give a view of crews choosing their line.