The Start Line: Head of the Don leads the action while trialists head to Boston
Join us at The Start Line as many head to Boston for the GBRT Open Trial and we look ahead to the rest of the racing happening this weekend
Credit: AllMarkOne
Welcome back to The Start Line! Check out some of the racing that is taking place across the UK this weekend.
The original, the Don, the boss
Doncaster RC is set to host three divisions for the annual Head of the Don. All events are raced upstream on the River Don. The club has changed the format this year and is now offering a shorter course of 2000m in each division for Beginner Coxed Quads and Coxed Fours, all J13-14 events, and J15 Single Sculls. All other events are to be raced over their 4000m course.
Division 2 is of notable interest as the head is one of the GB Rowing Team U19 Autumn Benchmarking Events, and results for eligible U19 trialists will be provided to the GB Rowing Team U19 Programme. One of the most exciting names in the Open event is Quinn Mosley. The Durham ARC is one of the great talents of northern rowing and has already worn the red, white, and blue, having won for Great Britain at the annual GB/France match earlier this year. He’ll face off against 18 other juniors, and making the furthest trip will be several athletes from Dulwich College BC and Merchant Taylors School BC. Leading off the whole field will be Yarm School BC’s Patrick Tulloch. The winner of the Oswald Challenge Cup at Durham Regatta has already been in action on the Northern Rowing circuit this season at events such as Tees Long Distance Sculls, where he placed second behind Ezra Fergusson from George Watson’s College BC in the J18 Single Scull event.
On the women’s side, just as strong a field will be racing, as 17 scullers are set to do battle on the Don. Maisie Brittles returns from international duties having won bronze and silver in the Women’s Double Scull at this year’s Coupe de la Jeunesse. Setting off just behind her will be Newark’s Emily Taylor, who brings a vast amount of single sculling experience to this weekend’s racing. Taylor raced well at Henley Women’s Regatta, reaching the semi-finals of the Di Ellis Trophy earlier this year. In the second half of the draw, keep an eye on Katharina Webber of Royal Shrewsbury School BC. A sculler of many talents, she sat in the seven-seat of her J16 Eight at the National Schools’ Regatta before jumping into RSSBC’s entry for The Bea Langridge Trophy at HWR, where she and her crew qualified for the round of 16.
Elsewhere in Doncaster, division one will kick off with some great northern rivalries that will pay out on the Don. It’s a two-horse race for the Open J18 Quadruple Sculls title as Yarm School BC go head-to-head with Lambton RC. While Doncaster Schools’ RA are the only entry in the women’s event, they will be chased hard on their home water by the two J16 Quads from Yarm School BC and Lambton RC. Come the afternoon racing, both of these categories will expand as St Peter’s School BC will field both Open and Women’s J18 Quads.
The Virtual Fours Festival ready for launch
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In association with The Fours Head, The Junior Fours Head and The Veteran Fours Head, RP3 is delighted to launch the Virtual Fours Festival. Underpinning the ‘Fours Festival’ of rowing across the weekend of the 14-16 November 2025, the Virtual Fours Festival will complement the on-water offering by allowing participating clubs to enter an unlimited number of athletes into the virtual competition. The Virtual racing competition runs from the 1-13 November, leading into the water events Friday to Sunday.
Across these two weeks, competitors will be able to submit their verified times (achieved on either an RP3 or Concept2 machine) to the RP3 Portal.
Those athletes and crews finishing in the top four in each category will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three brand-new RP3 dynamic machines for their club. Those finishing in the top 25% of each category will also be entered into a separate draw to win one of four seasonal RP3 loan packages.
Complementing the on-water events, any crews that race at the Junior Fours Head, Fours Head, or Veteran Fours Head and classify in the top 25% of each category will be entered into a third parallel draw to win one of four seasonal RP3 loan packages.
Tim Liversage, Chairman of the Junior Fours Head, added:
“The committee and I are thrilled to collaborate with RP3 to bring this event to life. All the events share a common goal of creating as many opportunities as possible for athletes across the UK to compete and experience high-quality racing, and the Virtual Fours Festival is central to that ambition. So why not enter your whole club – juniors to masters – to race virtually and on the water?”
As The British Rowing Indoor Championships get ever closer, this is the perfect opportunity to get some racing on the indoor rowing machine under your belt before heading to the NEC in Birmingham for two days of racing 6-7 December.
What else is on this weekend?
- Henley Sculls Head
- Head of the Taff
- GBRT Open Trial 2k Ergo Test & 5k Time Trial
- Isle of Ely Head (cancelled because of building works. It may be rearranged for early in 2026)
Hannah Vines: “To be a high performing coach is very different to a high performance coach”
During British Rowing Coaching Week, Fergus Mainland chatted with Hannah Vines all about Dorney BC to shine a spotlight on Child-First Coaching
Social Spotlight: The British Rowing Awards celebrate the people, clubs and crews from across the community who deserve recognition!
Have you nominated your coach for a British Rowing Award?
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That’s all from The Start Line this week!
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