The Vesta Veterans Head which often sees notable entries under the title the Vesta Veterans International Head of the River Race is a

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

race held annually on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

over the Championship Course.

Course

The direction in which it is raced will be advertised as the preferred

ebb tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tabl ...

, if that occurs fairly near the middle of the day. The direction is confirmed from many weeks ahead on the race website. It is raced from

Mortlake Mortlake is a suburban district of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes. Historically it was part of Surrey and until 1965 was in the Municipal Borough of Barnes. For many cen ...

Putney Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ancient paris ...

or vice versa.

Categories and entries

It is open to veteran (also known as masters) eights and quads, who race in prize categories determined by their average ages, plus novice prizes for the least-race-points crews in the men's, women's and mixed categories, which are further sub-categories of each category. The race always takes place on the day after the

Head of the River Race The Head of the River Race (HORR) is an against-the-clock ('processional') rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England between eights, other such races being the Schools' Head of the River Race, Women's Head of the River Rac ...

. There is on-water marshalling provided and an entry fee applies. Any surplus money is applied to further the sport of rowing.

Organiser

It is organised by

Vesta Rowing Club Vesta Rowing Club is a rowing club based on the Tideway of the River Thames in Putney, London, England. It was founded in 1870. Vesta organises two head races every year; the Scullers Head and the Veterans Head. History Foundation Vesta Rowing ...

External links

Veterans Head
Mortlake, London Rowing in the United Kingdom Water sports in London Head races {{Rowing-stub