News

Posted: 02 April 2026

Each year, to round off the Head Season, crews descend upon the banks of the Thames to take part in four Tideway events: The School’s Head of the River Race (SHoRR), Women’s Eights Head of the River Race (WeHoRR), the Head of the River Race (HoRR) and Vesta International Masters Head (Vesta). This year, 37 crews featuring athletes representing Scottish clubs took up the challenge.

Kicking off the action at SHoRR on 19 March, Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association fielded three crews across the Championship Eight (Ch 8+), Girls’ Championship Quad (G Ch 4x) and Championship J15 Eight (Ch J15 8+). The young athletes delivered strong performances throughout the event, but the standout result came from the Girls’ Championship Quad, who secured an impressive 11th place out of 32 crews. In a fiercely competitive field – with the top 20 boats separated by just two minutes – their finish highlighted both their technical skill and composure under pressure.

 
Provided by Gillian Connal. Master Pennant-winning crew at WeHoRR and winners of the W Mas D 8+ at Vesta with SPRC’s Gillian in the two seat. 

The following day, 18 boats featuring Scottish club representation took to the water under bright spring sunshine for the WeHoRR. An impressive half of these crews secured finishes within the top 100, with two pennants returning north of the border.

St Andrew Boat Club once again shone, claiming the Medium Club pennant for the second consecutive year. This victory marks their fifth pennant in nine years, a remarkable testament to the dedication and consistency of both athletes and coaches.

Scotland’s second pennant of the day came in the Masters category. Gillian Connal of Strathclyde Park Rowing Club, alongside fellow Scot, Sally Pollok-Morris (representing Upper Thames), raced as part of a composite crew with athletes from Upper Thames, Bedford, Blacksheep and the University of Bristol, battling against 35 crews to secure a well-deserved win. A superb achievement for Connal and her teammates.

Provided by Lindsay Flockhart. The Medium Club pennant-winning crew from St Andrew Boat Club with their coach, Lindsay, on the podium. 

Other notable performances came from Edinburgh University Boat Club (A), who secured a top 20 finish among some of the strongest crews in the country. University Rowing Aberdeen made an extraordinary climb of 103 places from their starting position to finish 50th, while the University of St Andrews also finished within the top 50. Two junior crews achieved top 100 results: Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association finished 67th, followed by the Scottish Argonauts in 71st – the latter a composite boat featuring athletes from Inverness Rowing Club, The Glasgow Academy, Strathclyde Park Rowing Club, St Andrew Boat Club and George Heriot’s School. Finally, a special mention goes to Heriot-Watt University Boat Club, who proudly fielded their first crew since 2018.

Image: Christopher Wade. Scottish Argonauts crew racing down the Thames at WeHoRR.

Two weeks later, a packed weekend of racing unfolded with back-to-back events: HoRR and Vesta.

The action began on Saturday 28 March with HoRR, where 11 Scottish crews took to the Thames. Aberdeen Boat Club delivered a standout performance, securing the pennant in the Small Club category. St Andrew Boat Club also made a strong showing, fielding three crews, with their A crew finishing 41st and earning a place inside the top 50. They were followed closely by Glasgow University Boat Club, who claimed 46th.

The Scottish Argonauts – a composite crew featuring athletes from Inverness Rowing Club, George Heriot’s School, The Glasgow Academy and Strathclyde Park Rowing Club – produced a solid race to finish 172nd, placing them mid-table within the junior field. Edinburgh University Boat Club added to the Scottish successes, with both of their crews achieving top 50 finishes and securing their starting positions for next year.

Image: Christopher Wade. Aberdeen Boat Club, winners of the Small Club pennant, storming down the course. 

The final Tideway event of the month, the Vesta International Masters Head, featured five crews with Scottish representation. The first win of the day came in the Women’s Masters D 8+, with a composite crew that included Gillian Connal of Strathclyde Park Rowing Club, building on the momentum of their earlier success at WeHoRR. A second victory followed in the Women’s Masters FG 8+, with four Scottish athletes contributing to the result: Ailie Ord and Henrietta Graham-Campbell (Strathclyde Park Rowing Club), Alison Hulme (St Andrew Boat Club), and Elaine Law (Aberdeen Boat Club). Congratulations to all involved.

There was further success for St Andrew Boat Club, whose Open Masters A 8+ secured a notable result as the third-fastest crew overall, finishing in a time of 18:20.1.

A huge well done to all Scottish crews who took on the challenge of the Tideway throughout the month. With the Head Season now concluded, attention turns to the upcoming regatta season. The first events on the calendar are the Saints Coastal Regatta on 11–12 April, closely followed by the Scottish Rowing Spring Regatta on 18–19 April.

Full results for all Scottish crews at each event are below -