7 July 2025

By Tim Koch

Tim Koch caught the last train out of Twyford.

King George II defined an English summer as “Three fine days and a thunderstorm.” The Hanoverian monarch would have had his prejudices confirmed had he been at this year’s Henley Royal Regatta where climatic conditions were certainly changeable – but not enough to spoil the fun and not enough to stop 2025 from being regarded as a “Classic Henley” with some wonderful old rivalries fought out in the (largely) civilised manner that we expect from the sport of rowing.

Historic sparring partners, London RC and Thames RC clashed in the final of two club events, the Thames (Club Open 8+) and the Britannia (Club Open 4+), but in the end it was honours even with LRC winning the former and TRC winning the latter. Both clubs also won one other event, London the Wyfold (Club Open 4-) against Sydney RC, Australia, and Thames the Bridge (Intermediate W8+) against Oxford Brookes. 

I returned to London with no clean shirts and about 1,000 photographs to edit. I intend to produce three posts with a selection of pictures relating to each win. The first will cover the twelve Premier events, the second the eight events that make up the Club and Intermediate races and the final post will look at the Student and Junior contests, seven in total.