Head of the Lake back to Sunday

BALLARAT'S premier rowing event, the Head of the Lake, returns to a Sunday next year.The Ballarat Associated Schools regatta will be on the Barwon River at Geelong on February 28.In another change, "Boat Race" will move from a late afternoon event back to its more traditional morning timeslot, with a 10am start.The regatta was rowed on a Wednesday in February this year.BAS has struggled to find a regular day for the Head of the Lake since 2006, when it was contested at Nagambie on a Friday.It moved to Saturday at the same venue in 2007 and then in its first year on the Barwon River in 2008 switched to a Sunday,BAS administrator Sharyn Canny said the Head of the Lake organising committee's first priority had been to stay on a Sunday this year, but this had not been possible owing to a clash with the Australian Masters on the Geelong Rowing Association-controlled Barwon course.This forced the secondary school regatta to midweek.Ms Canny said with no clash next year, BAS had jumped at the opportunity to return to a Sunday."Wednesday worked well, but Sunday is our preference," she said.The Head of the Lake spent four years at Nagambie Lakes in northern Victoria, with the move forced by Lake Wendouree's low water level.Being in Geelong means the division one events have been cut back from 2000 to 1500 metres.Ms Canny said with luck, next year's Head of the Lake would be the last away from its traditional home Lake Wendouree.She said it was too early to be sure, but early feedback on returning to Lake Wendouree to a sufficient level in time for the 2011 regatta was encouraging.