Come to the shores of the Rhein to witness this 13th edition of the BaselHead regatta, one of a select group of long-distance regattas in Europe, whose name mirrors such legendary races as the Head of the River in London and the Head of the Charles in Boston. The term “Head” designates a type of race where the team with the fastest time in the previous year starts the race, with the other boats starting after them at timed intervals. This year, this spectacular event will host 100 rowing teams from 10 nations in eight-person boats. Don’t miss the excitement of top-speed chases, elegance, and tactical overtaking, as these teams of rowers compete for medals and several cash prizes that range from CHF 50 to CHF 5,000. Be among the over 10,000 spectators who will line the bridges and the Rhein in Basel for an unobstructed view of this exciting race!
The regatta officially opens at 9:00, and you will see boats training on the course from about 10:00. The boats will begin lining up at 13:40 for a 14:00 start of the long-distance (Mirabaud Classic) races. The start and finish lines are located directly in front of Kaserne, just below the Mittlere Brücke. The race will take place on a 6.4-km stretch of the Rhein, heading upriver from Kaserne, crossing under the Mittlere Brücke, Wettsteinbrücke, and Schwarzwaldbrücke, making a 180º turn just below the power plant at Birsfelden, and then crossing under the same three bridges on the way back to the finish line. The boats will start the race at 20-second intervals, so there will be at least a dozen boats racing at any given time.
Also on the program is the Sprint des Rois, a very exciting “Three Kings” 350 m-sprint race. This race, which will start at the Münsterfähre and end at the cable of the Klingentalfähre, will take place at 10:30, before the long-distance race. Crews will also start at short intervals, and GPS transmitters in every boat enable the tracking from start to finish. The top three crews in each category of the Sprint des Rois will receive attractive cash prizes, including a stay at the namesake hotel—the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois.
Visit their English and German website for more information or to download a PDF of the course.

Website
baselhead.org/en/

Where
Unterer Rheinweg
Basel

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