welcome to the official head of the yarra website

saturday 29th november 2008
@ 12 noon

latest news

28.06.2008

History of results and clubs entered in Head of the Yarra since first race in 1957, pictures of program covers too.

Please note helped required to find all past records - especially 1970's. We also wish to get photos of all official HOY T-Shirts. Please let us know if you can help.

Please note some records missing for 1957, 1963, 1968 and 1982-84, 1987-1989, 1992, 1994, 1997. No records available for 1971 - 1981, 1985, (except fastest crew).

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05.04.2008

Need to find a boat, rower or coxswain for HOY 2008?

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other information

2008 will see the 50th staging of Head of the Yarra - Saturday 29th November 2008.

Awarded The People’s Choice Regatta for 2005, 2006 and 2007

Awarded Regatta of the Year 2003/04 by Rowing Victoria

How the draw
is done

In 2007 HOY organisers piloted the idea of running the event by race categories. After a full review after the event is has been decided to continue to run the regatta in this way.

Race categories are run in order of notionally slower race categories concluding with the notionally fastest Open categories. The main objective is to have crew categories of relatively similar boat speed / competitiveness starting close together. Importantly, we wish to have the open categories starting last for all to see at the end of the regatta. But we also wish to have other genuine contenders for the HOY fastest time (ie B category and School A) starting as close together as possible – and therefore, under as similar race conditions as possible.

Within the race categories, seeding will occur. Therefore crews who have raced in the prior year, in the same race category, will be given "grid positions" within their race category based upon where they finished the year prior. Crews racing in a new category, or those who are new to Head of the Yarra, will then be randomly ordered after those crews given a "grid position".

Where there are more the 8 crews within a race category, a 5 minute break will apply after each 8 crews. A break will also be applied between race categories. The break between categories may vary slightly, based upon fastest and slowest times expected in those race categories, however an estimate of a 5 to 15 minutes break is expected. This is to minimise race categories catching up to other race categories.

The race is expected to be run in the following order:

Race Category Break after catgeory
Men's Masters H+ (Handicaps Apply) 15 minutes
Men's Masters E-G (Handicaps Apply) 5 minutes
Women's Masters D+ (Handicaps Apply) 10 minutes
Men's Masters D (Handicaps Apply) 10 minutes
Women's Masters B & C (Handicaps Apply) 15 minutes
Men's Masters B & C (Handicaps Apply) 10 minutes
Mixed Eight (Handicaps Apply) 15 minutes
Schoolboy D 10 minutes
Schoolboy C 10 minutes
Men's C 5 minutes
Women's C 15 minutes
Schoolboy B 5 minutes
Schoolgirl B 15 minutes
Schoolboy A 5 minutes
Schoolgirl A 10 minutes
Men's B 5 minutes
Women's B 10 minutes
Men's A NO BREAK
Women's A  
Total race time with 180 - 200 crews = 5 hours  

Additional information

For non school entries, where more entries within a race category exist from the one club than grid positions, names may be checked against last year's entries, to allow the crew with the greatest number of rerowers within the same category to take the grid position(s). Entries in Male and Female A, B, C and Masters entries are matched for 4 names or more compared to last year's crew in the first instance, or then given to the club, provided the same race category is entered.

A provisional draw will be available and published on our website shortly following close of entry. HOY management will then take corrections. We will not however swap crews around – ie move crews up the grid within their race category. Please ensure Masters ages are correct on ROMS as we will only accept the average age given to us through ROMS for each crew. A re-worked final draw will then be produced and placed on the HOY website.