The ‘Head of the River’ is a completely different kind of event, Mr. Red. Any club affiliated to the NRA May enter crews, and it’s a time-trial, A ‘processional’ event. Crews compete against the clock, not against each other, and are set off at ten-second intervals, and row the Boat Race course in reverse, Mortlake to Putney, on the ebb (whereas the Boat race is rowed Putney to Mortlake, on the flood).

The Head of the River is the antithesis of the Boat Races, being an inclusive event which embraces competitors from the various standards of rowing, and from very many diverse rowing clubs, rather than having the exclusivity of the Boat Races which are limited to ‘Elite’ oarsmen from two specific clubs.