The Fuller’s Head of the River Fours, which takes place over the world famous 4 ¼ mile Championship course from Mortlake to Putney, returns to the Tideway for its 54th incarnation this weekend, with nearly 2500 competitors from 170 different UK and European clubs taking part.

All 550 available places filled up early again this year (a week before the published date), despite it only being a year since the committee introduced the rule banning sweep crews with less than two points from competing. The restriction on recent senior internationals entering any status other than Elite, has been reduced to those having competed at a World Cup, World Champs, or Olympics in the previous two years (rather than four years) with minimal impact on the quality or number of crews in the Elite events and, as a result, the race promises to provide some quality competition on Saturday morning.

The other major change for 2008 has been the introduction of lightweight categories for the first time in the history of the HOR4s. The Open and Women’s Elite lwt quadruple sculls events have been introduced in recognition of the recent success of top level lightweight rowing in the UK. Individual maximum weights are in line with both BIRC and squad trial weight limits (75kg for men and 61.5kg for women) and there is no crew average weight.

Most of GB’s recent Olympic medallists have been having a well earned rest since Beijing, and as a result the number of top GB squad athletes racing is slightly down on previous years, however, this is more than made up for by the large number of foreign Olympic athletes taking part. Oxford (racing as Isis) and Cambridge have more than their fair share of talent but they are not alone, as several of the Tideway hosts clubs have been successful in attracting overseas internationals to compete on their behalf.

Despite the reduction in GB ‘names’ competing this year, the majority of the 2008 GB senior, U23 and junior squads will still be taking part and, as usual, the HOR4s has attracted entries from schools, universities and clubs from across the UK and Europe, with visiting competitors coming from Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland and France. Fuller’s Brewery has now been associated with this event for 29 years, for which the committee and all those involved with the race, express their heartfelt thanks.

ELITE QUADS
Starting in head position and defending their title for the second time are course record holders Tideway Scullers. Three members of last year’s winning crew are back to defend their title; New Zealand Olympic bronze medallist Mahe Drysdale, GB sculler Alan Campbell and Slovenian Iztok Cop. The fourth seat will be taken by TSS head coach and ex-international Tom Gale.

Setting off behind them with their eye on regaining the head position, is a strong Leander Crew, containing GB Olympic Bronze medallist Steve Rowbotham, Athens Olympian Ian Lawson, GB international William Laughton and his brother George, who competed for GB at the 2008 European Championships.

No 3 is a crew of young GB internationals from Reading University (Cousins, Gregory, Lucas and Townsend); while RCN Vigo contains two Spanish Internationals in Jesus Gonzalez Alvarez and Juan Estefanell.

The Women’s Elite quads event is more open this year, as only one of last year’s winning crew is back; Sarah Winkless picks up her oars as part of a London / Marlow / UL composite with fellow GB Olympic W8 rower Jess Eddie and New Zealand Olympians Emma Twigg and Juliette Haigh.

However, the competition will be of very high standard as Tideway Scullers look to be going for the double with a impressive crew containing GB Olympian Natasha Howard, French Olympian Sophie Balmary; Swiss International Nora Fiechter and Swedish Olympic sculler Frida Svensson.

Leander Club field an equally strong crew of Olympic Silver medallist Debbie Flood, GB Olympic W8 rowers Katie Greves and Louise Reeve, and GB lightweight Jane Hall. Also competing in the event is a Reading University crew of Olympians: Natasha Page, Beth Rodford and bronze medallist in the W2x, Anna Bebington.

ELITE LWT QUADS
The first year of dedicated events for lightweights has produced an impressive entry in both the open and women’s 4x events.

London Rowing Club, starting at number 12, looks like the crew to beat in the open event; GB internationals Rob Williams and James Lindsay-Fynn join forces with Italians Stefano Basalini and Elia Luini. The Italian connection is continued by Imperial College, whose crew, starting at number 10, contains three Italian U23s and GB international Adam Freeman-Pask. In the women’s event, London look set to lead the way again with a quad stacked full of GB Internationals – Sophie Hosking, Laura Greenhalgh, Hester Goodsell and Andrea Dennis.

ELITE COXLESS FOURS
Heading up the entries in this event is a Leander crew containing GB rowers James Orme and Tom Burton. Starting behind them will be a London crew headed up by GB lwts Daniel Harte and James Clarke.

The Women’s elite coxless event looks likely to be dominated by Leander.

ELITE COXED FOURS
Another very hotly contested event. The Elite coxed fours promises some serious international competition from both Oxford and Cambridge universities, each with three crews entered. Whilst Molesey, headed up by Olympic gold medallist Andy Triggs-Hodge, attempt to defend their 2007 win in the event.

Isis’ top crew boasts three Olympians – Colin smith (GB silver), George Bridgewater (NZL bronze) and Sjoerd Hamburger (NED) –the fourth man in the boat is US international Alex Hearne. While their second crew has almost as good a pedigree with GB Olympian Tom Solesbury; Croatian Olympian Ante Kusurin and US international Ben Harrison in the line-up.