There is no more iconic 8’s race in the southern hemisphere (arguably in the world) than the Head of the Yarra, hosted by Hawthorn Rowing Club (disclaimer, my club..) I say that with pride.
The Head of the Yarra was first held in 1957 and with the exception of COVID-19, and flooding, has been run every year since. There are over 250 eights racing with no weight classes and coxswains are not weighed.
The Yarra River is not only a great place to train but also an amazing venue to race, this race has not only fast straights but winding bends and other challenges along the way. A coxswain needs to be “on point” all the way!
Listen in for a few ideas on how to get through the course. And make sure you have at least walked (or ridden) over the course in advance of unsure.
Guy Besley is the author of Beyond the Call: The Art of Being a Rowing Coxswain. If you'd like to learn more, it's available as a two-volume edition on Amazon.
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Head of the Yarra: Inside the Coxswain’s Mind! – Ep 2 - The Coxswains Journey · September 21, 2025 at 12:31 pm
[…] Also be sure to check out my Podcast episode: Head of the Yarra – The Coxswains Race. […]