Received this from Christchurch Rowing Club - 28/02/18.
We have been closely monitoring the weather forecast for the next few days. It now seems clear that we can expect some very wintry weather through Thursday, Friday and Saturday and whilst the forecast currently shows a gradual thaw commencing on Saturday evening, we do not believe that the conditions will be suitable to safely run the Head of the Stour thus Sunday, 4th March and as a result we are taking an early decision to cancel the event today.
Whilst we understand that this will be disappointing for those who entered and are keen to compete, we hope that by making an early decision we will avoid putting both competitors and our club volunteers to the inconvenience that a late cancellation of the event would cause.
To put this decision into context, the forecast for Sunday is showing fairly strong and gusty SE winds, which combined with cold temperatures would result in substantial wind-chill. There will be an outgoing tide throughout both divisions, which when combined with a SE wind is likely to produce choppy water conditions, and the water temperature is also below normal at 8C. The entry this year comprised a substantial number of small boats and we do not believe it would be sensible to expose competitors to the expected conditions on the day.
We will look into alternative dates to re-arrange the event later in March, and will make a further announcement if this is possible. In the meantime we will refund all entry fees returned and would like to thank you for your continued support of the event.
Regards
Head of the Stour Organising Committee