Head of the River Race only open to men's eights and is considered to be the peak of the head race season — attracting the top UK crews as well as foreign clubs. Composite crews, drawn from more than one club or institution, are not permitted. The Championship Course is that of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race but, unlike the Boat Race, the Head of the River Race is raced on an ebb tide from Mortlake to Putney. The starting time for the race is different every year and depends on the tide — the first crew (winner from the previous year) starts the
Charles Campbell (rower) was an easy winner and the time recorded was a slow 42 minutes, but the boats used were slow, old-fashioned wherries. Future races were to feature faster wager boats. Campbell's third title race occurred on 19 August 1846 again after being challenged by Coombes. This time the stake was £100 a side. This was the first title race held on what became known as the Championship Course of Putney to Mortlake on the Thames. The match had been eagerly anticipated by many sportsmen and there was considerable speculation as to the outcome. It was noted that one of the famous