At 6am today (Saturday, 4 November) the PLA Ebb Tide Flag Status was changed to RED. We expect this status to remain in place through tomorrow due to the stream conditions upstream. As a result, with much regret, the 2023 Fours Head is cancelled.
We apologise to all of the clubs and crews who have spent so much time on entries, training, and loading trailers.
The Committee is now working on urgent cancellation actions with suppliers. We will publish a notice here once we have established the full financial impact of this late cancellation.
Update 7pm, Saturday, 4 November: We are aware that the PLA FLag Status was changed back to yellow at 6pm today. The 2023 Fours Head remains cancelled and this will not change. The Flag Statuses suggest step changes that can’t reflect how the severity of conditions is a continuum. There is very little difference between the top of yellow and the bottom of red, for example. As the stream is currently fluctuating around this somewhat arbitrary boundary, and there has been considerable rain today in the Thames Valley, it’s perfectly possible that it will be back on red at 6am on Sunday. Whatever the colour, the risk caused by the current stream conditions is too high for the race to be run.
The Fours Head 