Head of the Lune – Race Report
After several days of heavy rain leading into the weekend, there was real uncertainty about whether Sunday’s Head of the Lune could safely go ahead. Thanks to a well-judged call from Alex, our Chairman, together with support from the LRDG, the decision was made to run the event — and it proved absolutely the right one.
By Sunday morning, the River Lune delivered perfection: bright sunshine, mill-pond water, a helpful flow and a light tailwind that made for some impressively fast racing. Crews took full advantage.
A fantastic 140 crews from 9 clubs lined up to compete, creating a brilliant atmosphere both on the water and around the boathouse.
Fastest crews of the day:
- Manchester University Men’s 8+ – 7:26
- Lancaster University Women’s 8+ – 8:18
JOG Club Results
It was an outstanding day for our own Lancaster John O’Gaunt crews, with wins, debuts and some seriously impressive performances.
Sam & Sam dominate – twice!
Sam T and Sam M produced a superb win in the Men’s Pair, and then teamed up with Jacob and Iain to race a quad — winning again with a blistering time of 7:59, the 4th fastest time of the entire day and a brilliant milestone as they dipped under eight minutes.
Mixed Masters C/D victory
Martin, Rachel, Gary and Helen claimed the win in Mixed Masters C/D with a sharp 8:45, making them the fastest masters crew of the whole event.
Men’s Double win
Gary and Martin teamed up once more and secured a solid victory in the OP Mas B\C 2x, finishing in 9:06.
Performance of the Day – Lucy steps in
The story everyone is still talking about: the Men’s Quad needed a last-minute substitute after illness struck, and in stepped Lucy — half the size of the lads but twice the determination. She steered the crew faultlessly to victory in the Open Masters B/C, earning huge cheers (and a lot of respect!) from everyone watching.
Fine-boat firsts
We also had several athletes racing fine boats for the very first time: Abdullah, Graham, Stuart, George, Lee, Kaylyn and Debra. All handled the conditions brilliantly and produced confident, composed races — a fantastic foundation for future success.
Other strong performances
Across the board, many of our crews delivered strong times, hard-fought battles and some incredibly close margins. It was great to see so many JOG boats out on the water showcasing depth, spirit and teamwork.
A huge thank you to all the umpires and volunteers who made the event possible — from marshalling to timing, safety to catering. The day ran smoothly thanks to your hard work, and it really highlighted what a warm and committed club community we have.
Well done to everyone who raced, supported, baked and helped. Another brilliant Head of the Lune in the books!
