Misty skies and strong racing at Docklands Head 2026
Despite the threat of heavy fog over East London in the week preceding Docklands Head, Sunday 8th November brought atmospheric mist and perfectly flat water along the 2750m race course. The race runs from Royal Victoria Dock into Royal Albert Dock through a narrow passage under the bridges, an ideal viewing point for spectators. We welcomed a total of 192 entries from 25 clubs from across the country, with a strong junior field.
Crews made the most of the good water to put down strong times in both divisions. Congratulations go to Head of the River and fastest Op8+, University College London, whose time of 9m 35.27s was fiercely challenged by Tideway Scullers’ Op4x- with 9m 35.68s. Congratulations also to Lea’s W8+, claiming Women’s Head of the River and fastest W8+ with an impressive 10m 34.33s, a clear win in the category! The fastest junior crew was the St Paul’s Schools OpJ16 8+, who placed 7th overall in a remarkable time of 10m 30.36s.
Poplar was proud to have 11 crews across the two divisions, with excellent performances across the board, including seconds and minutes knocked off last year’s times for many of our racers. Congratulations to our category winners Bob (OpMas1x and OpMas2x), Ben, Charlotte, Tommy, and Andrea (Mixed Mas4x-), and Charlotte (W1x). These are encouraging results for the club, as noted by Captain Ben:
It was another well-run event from our organising team and it’s always a pleasure to race at the docks in unexpectedly calm conditions! The mist created an exciting atmosphere and I was impressed by the standard of racing in every category.
I’m pleased to report four Poplar wins and a strong squad performance.
As ever, I’d like to highlight the time and effort of everyone who contributed to the success of the day, without which we couldn’t have this fantastic event. I look forward to seeing everyone at Poplar Regatta and Docklands Head next year!
As always, an event of this scale relies on the enthusiasm and generosity of an enormous team of volunteers and partners. We are grateful to the 33 Poplar volunteers and 6 students from Amos Sports Business School in Greenwich, as well as the 11 umpires who joined us to ensure the event ran smoothly.
Thank you to London Regatta Centre for hosting, to Amy and Fred for providing hot drinks and pastries in the cold, Sea Cadets for driving launches, Thames Oak Valley for medical support, and James and the Private Parking Management team for invaluable support.
We look forward to welcoming you back to the docks for Poplar Regatta on 23rd May 2027.
