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New Zealand’s Emma Twigg, a veteran of five Olympic Games and a Henley Steward lost by three lengths in a heat of the Stoner Challenge Trophy (Premier Women’s Double Sculls). Here we also see a reflection of her doubles partner, Australia’s Grace Sypher.
5 July 2025
By Tim Koch
Tim Koch covers all 2,112 metres of Henley’s living history.
Looking from the finish towards the start of the world’s most famous and most beautiful rowing course.
Henley’s fourth day saw a strong headwind blowing down the course – as evidenced by the flag at Upper Thames Rowing Club.
At the start
Nine Stewards acted as umpires but here Sarah Winckless takes charge.In the Prince Philip (Junior Girls Eights), Headington School (leading) beat Newport Aquatic Center, USA, by 3 1/2 lengths.Newport and Headington. Headington must be the favourites to win on Sunday.Molesey Boat Club racing in the Fawley (Junior Open Quad Sculls). They beat The Grange School by 2 1/2 lengths.In the Prince Philip (Junior Girls Eights), Kinross Wolaroi School, Australia (leading), beat Latymer Upper School by 1 length.London takes the first stroke in their race against Tyne in the Thames Cup (Club Open Eights) where they won by 1 3/4 lengths.
Practice during lunch
Crews in odd non-racing kit queue to practice on the course during the 90-minute lunch interval.
The Leander and Oxford Brookes crew entered for the Grand (Premier Open Eights). They will have their first race on Saturday.
Presumably the Leander and Nottingham RC crew entered for the Queen Mother (Premier Open Quad Sculls).The Cambridge University crew entered for the Grand (Premier Open Eights). It is essentially this year’s Blue Boat. This year’s men’s reserves, Goldie, lost by 3/4 length to Delftsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Laga, Netherlands, in the Temple (Student Open Eights).Rowing Australia’s entry in the Remenham (Premier Women’s Eights).
At the finish
In the Prince of Wales (Intermediate Open Quad Sculls), Edinburgh University’s stroke (foreground) provides proof that losing is not as good as winning. Marlow won by 2 lengths.St Paul’s School leads Eton home in the Princess Elizabeth (Junior Open Eights). They won by 1 1/2 lengths.St Paul’s are probably now the crew to beat.Keto and Obukohwo of Thames Rowing Club and Twickenham Rowing Club (pictured) beat Sypher and Twigg of Sydney Rowing Club, Australia and Hawkes Bay Rowing Club, New Zealand, by 3 1/2 lengths.Hollandia Roeiclub, Netherlands, beat Bath University “Easily” in the Princess Grace (premier Women’s Quad Sculls).In the Bridge (Intermediate Women’s Eights) Thames Rowing Club beat Molesey Boat Club and Newcastle University by 1/3 length.Marlow (pictured) beat Mercantile Rowing Club, Australia, by 3 3/4 lengths in the Diamond Jubilee (Junior Women’s Quad Sculls). Apparently, stroke Eve Pinsent’s father once rowed.In the Temple (Student Open Eights), Oxford Brookes beat Edinburgh University by 1 3/4 lengths.
Finally, not all boats at Henley are built for speed…
A splendid slipper launch.The shallop belonging to the Drapers’ Company, a City of London livery company.A beautiful Thames Skiff.*A possibly unique form of river craft.
Not enough words?
If you would like more text than the meagre amount that I am providing, head to Junior Rowing News (misleadingly titled, it is not just about Junior racing) which has informed event by event and day by day comment, analysis and results. There is more good coverage by Row360.
*In the original caption, Tim asked the readers if they knew what kind of skiff was shown in the photograph. Koos Termorshuizen, editor of the Dutch rowing magazine Roei!, knew the answer. Koos writes: “These [boats] have been exported in large numbers to the Netherlands, where there’s a Thames Skiff rowing & sailing & conservation club, named Het Zeilend Scheehout (the sailing wooden thole pin – what’s in a name). Their website: https://www.zeilwherry.nl Koos, who is the secretary of Het Zeilend Scheehout, continues to write: “Some of our members are floating along the barriers in Henley these days, with their Dutch flag.”
Hear The Boat Sing 