The Thames will be a hive of activity on Saturday when the Putney Fours Head gets under way, with over 200 crews from across the capital and beyond battling the tide and the autumn chill.
Favourites in the men’s senior category are the Hammersmith Reach Boat Club, who have won the event for three straight years and have added two recent national-team trialists to their line-up.
What to watch for
The women’s event looks wide open. Barnes Bridge Rowing Club have the strongest recent form, but a young Kew Reach crew posted the fastest time at last month’s head-to-head trial and will fancy their chances.
Conditions look challenging. A brisk south-westerly is forecast, which could create choppy water on the Surrey side of the river and favour crews with the nerve to steer a tight line.
Race organiser Sophie Lindqvist said the sold-out entry list was “proof that the head-race tradition is alive and well on the Tideway”.
