21 June 2024

By Tim Koch

HWR’s Poster Boy talks to HTBS.

Henley Women’s Regatta (HWR) started today, Friday 21 June, and will run until Sunday. It does not seem like 36 years ago since I attended the first Henley Women’s, held over one very long Saturday on 18 June 1988. I still have the programme and it shows that 97 races ran between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. without any breaks (over a 2000m course) and that there were 109 entries, 500 competitors and 17 events. 

HWR’s website gives a brief history:

During the early 1960s, the number of serious oarswomen in England probably numbered less than 1,000. Today, according to British Rowing estimates, women now account for more than 45 per cent of the country’s active registered rowers…

As the number of women rowers continued to increase during the 1980s, so did the standard of competition. During the National Championships of 1987, the women’s national coach, Rosie Mayglothling… suggested that the women should organise their own regatta on the Henley reach, preferably on a day shortly before the Henley Royal Regatta, so that college crews would be able to take part.

The enthusiasm and support for a women’s regatta built at the World Championships in Copenhagen later that year and at subsequent meetings. But the approval of Stewards of Henley Royal Regatta was necessary. Whilst they do not own the water, they do own most of the land on each side of the course, as well as all the installations, so their support was vital. Due to the persistence of Mayglothing and Christine Aistrop (the first chairman of the proposed event), permission was given for a women’s regatta to be held on the Royal Regatta course in June 1988…

Since that first Henley Women’s Regatta… many aspects of the event have changed as the sport of women’s rowing has matured: the direction of the course, the number and size of the races, the participation of international crews, qualification rules, etc. The regatta continues to grow, as does the level of competition…

A longer history is also on the HWR website.

The 2024 regatta has attracted record entries for a third year in a row, with a total of 579 crews entering this year, up by 32 crews compared to 2023. Athlete numbers have risen to over 2,300 for the first time ever, up from around 2,150 in 2023.

The British Rowing website notes:

There has been particularly strong growth in the championship and junior events, which have both attracted more entries than in previous years. With junior, student and club women’s eights a feature of Henley Royal Regatta since 2021, there is a continued rise in entries in the bigger boats at Henley Women’s…

Entries for the Ron Needs Challenge Cup for championship eights have soared 33 per cent year-on-year to 20 boats. There are 24 entries in the Peabody Cup for junior eights and 31 crews are set to race for the Colgan Foundation Cup for aspirational academic eights.

HWR will also feature para-rowing for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic; three scullers are entered in the Grosvenor Cup for PR3 single sculls.

Once again, the most popular event is the Frank V Harry Cup for development coxed fours, which has 53 entries this year. It is the third year in a row where more than 50 crews have entered the event, which is designed to be an entry point to HWR for those near the start of their rowing careers…

During its thirty-six years, HWR has inevitably developed its own traditions. One of the most striking of these is the now eleven-year-old custom of producing beautiful and artistic posters. Credit for these must go to the renowned illustrator, Andy Tuohy. 

Tully’s website biography says:

Andy Tuohy is… known for his iconic A-Z of Liverpool and Merseyside, a project that showcases his love for the city where he studied Graphic Design in the 1980s. With a diverse career in publishing and advertising, Andy has established his own successful studio, attracting commissions from prestigious institutions, publishers, festivals, and museums around the world… His illustrations capture the essence of his subjects with vibrant colours and a distinctive style.

With the unveiling of his twelfth HWR poster, HTBS talked to Andy.

How did you get involved with HWR?

Pam Hayes approached me in 2012 to create the 2013 poster. She’d seen prints and posters on my website in a vintage travel poster style. It’s as simple as that, really. She asked, and I happily agreed. Many of my commissions have come about this way. The original brief, which has remained the same through the years, was to include Temple Island, women/a woman, and rowing. It has become increasingly challenging to generate something fresh and original with these elements, but I feel I’ve succeeded. I drew the typography from the original 1920s lettering in the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam and that has remained unchanged in every design since, except for different dates. Probably because it was already vintage typography, it has managed to endure without dating.

What is your artistic background and what are your influences?

I studied Graphic Design at Liverpool Polytechnic, now John Moores University, and have been drawing and creating for as long as I can remember. While I don’t recall specific early influences, books on Dali, Picasso, and Mondrian at home might have subconsciously affected my interest in art. College was when I became consciously captivated by the graphic styles of Dadaism, Futurism, and Constructivism. These movements, without a doubt, kindled my enduring love for typography. I loved their experimental and bold typographical aesthetic, which has stayed with me to this day.

Do you have a rowing background?

I don’t have any experience of competitive rowing but I have the utmost respect and admiration for elite rowing athletes. It strikes me as a very tough sport. I did once row embarrassingly badly down Hythe Canal as a family fun activity, but that’s the extent of my experience. However, I love the visual possibilities of rowing and have immensely enjoyed creating designs that many rowers say they love. So, I must be tapping into the sport in a positive way. There are many things I’m not especially experienced in, yet I enjoy making graphic interpretations of them.

Do you attend the regatta?

Not as much as I would like. I have been three times. I wish I could go more often. The atmosphere is always very relaxed and family-oriented. It’s always nice to catch up with Pam, who has become a really good friend. Pam relinquished her involvement a couple of years ago, but that doesn’t stop me from wondering if she will like what I have created, even though her stock phrase, with amusing self-deprecation, is ‘what do I know, you’re the artist.’

Andy’s Socials:
http://www.behance.net/andytuohy
http://www.andytuohy.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/andytuohydesign/
https://www.instagram.com/godsofsynth/

The draw and timetable for HWR is on the HWR website. Racing begins on Friday, 21 June with time trials, and finals take place on Sunday, 23 June in the afternoon.