Head of Yarra
North Shore Masters at the 2025 Head of the Yarra
North Shore lined up at the 2025 Head of the Yarra — Australia’s largest and most iconic eights-only rowing race. This 8km time trial along Melbourne’s Yarra River featured 243 crews and 2,183 competitors from 82 different clubs making it one of the most exciting days on the down under rowing calendar.
NSRC was represented by a Masters Women’s E 8+, aka, the Sweep Sisters, coxed by Club President Mat Jensen. Additional North Shore athletes included Richie McFelin and Chris Bloomfield racing in an Auckland Rowing Club composite, along with members Chris Brake, Gordy Williams, Harry Walkins and RichardHughes who competed for West End in a mixed eight securing a second place.
The Masters Women’s E 8+ delivered a solid performance, finishing 4th out of 18 boats, passing 8 boats to achieve this result, one minute behind North Shore Australia. The two clubs marked the moment with a joint post-race photo. The NSRC crew — Denise Duffy, Kerstin Mandell, Melissa Cameron, Simone Archer, Morven Booth, Kerry Dumphy, Lisa McCallum, and Jane Plowman — began their campaign 140 days earlier as an intermediate-level group. Their goal was improvement; their hard work saw them rise to the top end of one of the most competitive divisions for women aged 55–59.
On their final training day, the crew paid tribute to the women who came before them — rowing on the Yarra River with the names and photos of past North Shore athletes throughout the boat. The crew even recreated the historic 1958 8+ photo. Among those honoured were the trailblazing NSRC women who won the first women’s race in New Zealand in 1960. During the final 500 metres of the race, Mat Jensen called on the crew to push for the past, present, and future rowers of the club — and the boat lifted. The crew finished proud, motivated, and already eyeing a return in 2026.
A special highlight this year was the mother–son duo of Morven Booth and Callum Booth, with Morven racing in the NSRC Masters Women’s E 8+ and Callum representing the Auckland Rowing Association Squad in the Open 8+. NSRC were well represented in the two ARA competing crews with Tadhg Farac, Jack Buckley, George Langley, Lewis Brown and cox Harry Molloy joining Callum in the men’s crew. Izzy Karim, lilah Martin, Lily Dwyer, Emma Curnow and cox Jacob Avery were selected for the women’s crew. NSRC Coach Lewis Morrell also travelled to Melbourne.
The Yarra is often called a coxswain’s race thanks to its tight bends, 11 bridges, and the relentless stream of crews launching every 20 seconds. Despite that chaos, Mat Jensen steered superbly, recording the 20th shortest line out of all 243 crews. His total distance was 7.9798 km, while the shortest course of the day—7.93 km—was steered by Angus Blackwood of Brisbane Grammarians.
For Jensen’s first time down the Yarra, it was an outstanding result. His line was especially impressive given the heavy traffic, including several Women’s E crews that failed to yield, and a significant holdup behind a slower boat in a no-passing zone near a bridge. Overall, it was a masterful coxing performance and a proud moment for the club.
Much of the Swing Sister’s story—stretching back 140 days from the first training to race day itself—was documented by @denise.duffy on Instagram, giving behind-the-scenes look at North Shore’s entire Head of the Yarra journey.
