The 2014 Australian Boat Race returns to Sydney Harbour this year on Sunday morning 26thOctober. The location of the world famous New Year’s Fireworks, the Australia Day Celebrations and the captivating Vivid Light Festival, the magnificent Sydney Harbour and the city and surrounding suburbs will provide a scenic backdrop as the racing eights of men and women’s crews from Sydney and Melbourne Universities battle each other over a 4.3 kilometre course from Woolwich to Darling Harbour.
The crews will start near the shore just south of the Woolwich ferry wharf and head east around Greenwich then pass Cockatoo Island, Birchgrove, Balmain, Goat Island, Pyrmont and Kings St Wharf before passing under Pyrmont Bridge to finish right in Darling Harbour.
The attached map shows the course. To take advantage of the early morning conditions the women’s eights will start at 8.20 am and the men’s eights at 9.20 am.
Spectators can book on a First Fleet ferry to follow the race. Bookings are available at :
A flotilla of seven water taxis with film crews and guests along with two vessels designated as safety rescue craft will follow the crews as well as the spectator ferry. The race area will be patrolled by Roads and Maritime Boating Safety Officers and an exclusion zone will operate around the race area.
The Sydney crews will row with gold oars and wear their traditional sporting colours of Blue and Gold while Melbourne crews will be in mid blue uniforms with dark blue blades.
Senior accredited rowing officials will umpire the events. Mr Greg Smith will control the men’s eights and Ms Barbara Ramjam will control the women’s eights race.