Head of the Weir Race

The Hull Lifesaving Museum's 26th annual Head of the Weir River Race is a celebration of the estuary at the height of its fall beauty and the fabulous array of the region's open-water rowers. As many as 60 boats jockey for position racing out the narrow estuary and onto open water, traveling from West Corner (on the Hingham/Hull/Cohasset line), past Bumpkin Island, across Hull Bay, to the museum's Windmill Point Boathouse at Hull Gut. A highly contested 5-½ miler, the Weir draws coxed youth and adult rowers in gigs, single and double livery and workboats, currachs, and ocean shells, as well as experienced kayakers. In the "head of the river" format, boats kick-off the starting line at one-minute intervals, and times are collated at the finish to determine the race winners. The Weir is an exceptionally exciting race and a great spectator event, featuring over 150 of the region's finest rowers from all over New England and New York. Best spectator views are from the bridge on George Washington Boulevard (10-20 minutes after the start), at the tip of Hull's Sunset Point, or at the Windmill Point Boathouse finish line. Spectators should show care crossing the road on George Washington Boulevard, watching for fast moving traffic.

Registration, required for all participants, will be 9:30 am - 10:30 am at the race starting line behind the Hull Public Works building at the Hull Town Line on Route 228. The coxswains' meeting is at 10:45 am, and race start at 11:30 am. All coxed boats must contact the race organizers before the day of the race. There is no parking available at the race starting line; the put-in for trailered boats is at Nantasket Pier, one mile from the starting line, where car and trailer parking is available.