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A few strokes off the Henley start (in the distance on the right here), crews pass the beautiful Temple Island, in part a lush nature reserve and in part home to an elegant folly, an ornamental temple constructed in 1771.
5 June 2024
By Tim Koch
Tim Koch spent Henley Thursday at the start.
In the 1977 anthology, My Oxford, writer, publisher and politician, Nigel Nicolson, wrote on his time competing at Henley Royal Regatta with his college crew in the late 1930s:
For those few days we lived in dread of the next race, discussing tactics, grooming the boat, eating enormously, sleeping long – and then the last terrified backward glance down the course before the race began in distant privacy to end… minutes later between banks of parasols and to tumultuous acclaim.
While Nicolson would recognise Henley ninety years on, nowadays few, if any, parasols are unfurled at the finish and the start is certainly a lot less private than it was in his time with commercial concessions increasingly creeping along the riverbank. However, compared to the finish 2,112 metres upriver, the start is still relatively peaceful.
The week’s schedule is here, today’s timetable is here, the results here and the regatta’s YouTube Channel has both live and recorded coverage.
The Junior Women’s Quad event, The Diamond Jubilee, with Claires Court School (left) and Marlow Rowing Club (right) on the start. Marlow won by 3 1/2 lengths.The umpire addresses Cornell University, USA (left), and Cambridge University (right) before a heat of the Prince Albert (Student Men’s Coxed Fours).Cornell awaits the start. Eight minute later, Cambridge won “easily.”While the day was warm and dry, a strong wind was blowing as the Isis and Tamesis flag of Upper Thames Rowing Club shows.
Viewed through the crude but effective aligning device at the start are London Rowing Club “B” (foreground) and Koninklijke Amsterdamsche Roei-en Zeilvereeniging “De Hoop”, Netherlands (background). It was a heat of the Thames Cup (Club Men’s Eights) which the Dutch won by 3 1/2 lengths.
Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Nereus, Netherlands (foreground), and Newcastle University (background) get onto the start for a heat of the Island (Student Women’s Eights).The Nereus stroke mid-breath.Newcastle backs onto the start.A final pre-race ritual by Newcastle. They won by three lengths.In the stern of an umpire’s launch, Henley Stewards, Boris Rankov (left) and Ben Hunt-Davis (right) prepare to take the stroke rates – which will then be relayed to the commentator at the finish.Ruderverein Münster, Germany (background), beat Cantabrigian Rowing Club (foreground) “easily” in a heat of the Wargrave (Club Women’s Eights). RowAmerica Rye, USA, ready to race The Lady Eleanor Holles School in a heat of the Prince Philip (Junior Women’s Eights). They won by three lengths.One of the Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club, Germany, crew checks out the opposition in the form of Tyne Amateur Rowing Club before their heat of the Thames Cup (Club Men’s Eights). Tyne off the start. The Germans won “easily.”J. Plihal, Craftsbury Green Racing Project, USA (foreground), and D. Junge, Ruder-Club Favorite Hammonia Hamburg, Germany (background), prepare for their heat of the Diamonds (Open Men’s Single Sculls).Junge off the start. Leading at the Barrier, he eventually lost by a length.Marlow Rowing Club and Queen’s University, Belfast (pictured) lost to Lausanne-Sports Aviron, Switzerland and Shawnigan Lake School, Canada, by four lengths in a heat of the Princess Grace (Open Women’s Quad Sculls).Marlow Rowing Club in their race against Claires Court School in a heat of the Diamond Jubilee (Junior Women’s Quad Sculls).Claires Court alongside Temple Island.Marlow (left) and Claires Court (right). Marlow won by 3 1/2 lengths.Durham University “A” (pictured) beat Groninger Studenten Roeivereniging Aegir, Netherlands, by one length in the Island (Student Women’s Eights).In an all-American heat of the Fawley (Junior Men’s Quad Sculls) the Whitemarsh Boat Club “A” crew beat their “B” crew by three lengths.
E.L. Crossley School, Canada, are pictured leading Shiplake College in a heat of the Diamond Jubilee (Junior Women’s Quad Sculls). The Canadians won by four lengths.
Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club and Lübecker Ruder-Gesellschaft von 1885 e.V., Germany (left) and Leander “B” compete in the Open Women’s Quad Sculls, The Princess Grace. Leander won by 1 3/4 lengths.Artemisia one of the elegant launches that carries the umpires and their officials – plus coaches, supporters and other “guests of the umpire.” Despite appearances, the launch is only five years old.In a heat of the Island (Student Women’s Eights), the University of London “A” (foreground) beat Boston University, USA, by 3 1/2 lengths.Cambridge University (right) leading Cornell University, USA, in a heat of the Prince Albert (Student Men’s Coxed Fours).The Thames Rowing Club “A” crew in the Wargrave (Club Women’s Eight) on a practice outing before their later race against Thames “D”. As may be expected, the “A” crew eventually won.Remenham Club is about 1,500 metres into the race course. It is a social club founded in 1909 by six (later seven) amateur rowing clubs including Twickenham RC – some of whose members are pictured here waiting for the Twickenham – Leander race in the Thames Cup (Club Men’s Eights). Sadly for TwRC, the result was as predictable as that of the General Election.
The Henley Reach was not the only scene of racing on 4 July as it was also general election day in the UK. The elegant Henley Town Hall, pictured here, was one of the polling stations. Eventually, the new Henley and Thame constituency was won by the Liberal Democrats from the Conservatives by 6,000 votes. In Colchester, Conservative candidate and former Olympic oarsman, James Cracknell, was defending a Tory majority of 9,000 but lost to Labour by 8,000 votes. Both Henley Royal Regatta and the British electoral process use the brutal “first past the post” system.
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