Great River Race Chart: Click for full screen, zoomable, scrollable version

Great River Race Chart: Click for full screen, zoomable, scrollable version
NB Click divider icon bottom left for distances and bearings

Almost the entire 21.6 mile course is available on Street View thanks to the Port of London Authority who allowed a launch to travel up to Richmond Bridge with a Google Street View camera.
Unfortunately there seems to be no automatic way to follow the route (let me know if you know how!)
As it happens the finish is also on Street View from the bank at Ham House.

For the up to the minute online tides and river flow see Tideway
The Great River Race is rowed upriver on the flood tide, and since it goes through Richmond half tide weir it needs to be timed so that the first boats do not reach Richmond until the weir is open (about two hours before high water at Richmond). In 2014 the fastest boat (a Dragon 16) took 2:03:14 arriving at the finish some six minutes after the first boat home (which started 8 minutes or so earlier).

Rio Draco, the Rafters. Fastest boat in the race

When the Committee boat caught up with the Dutch contingent we played the Dutch National Anthem thus delaying them by a few minutes as they returned the salute! That this boat was only 41 minutes behind the fastest boat is remarkable.

Pollux, a Kromhout Whaler rowing as the Dutch Marines Rowing Challenge finished in 2:44:51

The Start is sometimes a little hectic - but somehow it all worked out in the end ...

An impressive handicap system with the fastest boats starting later ensured that throughout most of the course there was competition and boats overtaking -

These boats had already been rowing for at least two hours and were still racing each other.

The Great River Race has a Website - http://www.greatriverrace.co.uk/index.php Please click for details
Then come back here and on the next pages explore the course and its history and pictures and poetry