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The Henley Finish, a painting by Jeremy King hanging in the Leander clubhouse.
10 July 2025
By Tim Koch
Tim Koch captures Henley Final’s Day.
The prize giving was a warm and wet affair.In the Remenham, Hollandia reversed the result from the European Rowing Championships on 1 June (when they lost to the British by over two seconds) and beat the home crew by 3/4 length.Hollandia in control.The last few strokes.Five hours earlier, four of the crew had also won the Town, the premier women’s coxless four race.Hollandia on their way to the start.Hollandia on their way to the finish.A second trophy for this four with a record time of 7:04.
The official press release said of this race:
The contest unravelled in compelling fashion as The Dutch National Team and the British senior four – moonlighting as Leander Club and Reading University – went head to head. Hollandia were a length up by the Barrier, but what transpired down the remainder of the course was a fascinating mix of grit, chaotic steering and repeated flag-waving warnings from the Umpire. With the Dutch a length up, the British were not able to claw that margin back…
Hollandia and Potsdam & Dusseldorf past the finish line.Happy Holliandia.Passing the Progress Board, about ten strokes from the finish.It’s still anyone’s race.The crowd in Stewards’ equalled any “Remenham Roar” as the Greeks appeared to surge on the last few strokes – but then went silent as they waited for the judges to study the photo finish. The winning verdict was one foot to Anastasiadou and Fitsiou.Anastasiadou and Fitsiou pose with the Stonor Trophy and also with the new Henley Steward, Lord Camoys, the 8th Baron Camoys. Thomas Stonor, the 3rd Baron Camoys, was one of the founders of Henley Regatta in 1839 and all the successors to the barony (bar one) have served on the Committee.
One of the stories of the Regatta came in The Stonor Challenge Trophy for women’s double sculls. With a starting roster featuring multiple Olympic gold medallists – including Steward Emma Twigg – this promised much and delivered in spades, providing us with one of the most exhilarating finals in recent years. E. Anastasiadou & Z. Fitsiou, Nautical Club of Kastoria and Nautical Club of Mavrochori, Greece were certainly second favourite approaching their final against the might of the Dutch, which featured Paris gold medal winner Benthe Boonstra, and it did not seem the script would be flipped for basically all of the contest. The Dutch led for 99.9% of the race, only for the fast-finishing Greeks to mount a stunning late charge to the line, surpassing their opponents for the first time as their bows crossed the line…
Despite a strong start from the Croatian Jurkovic sisters, Collins and Wanamaker pulled away to win by 4 1/2 lengths.The US Olympians, veterans of Tokyo and Paris, raced as New York Athletic Club but trained out of Cambridge with Light Blue blades and a Light Blue coach.Collins and Wanamaker with coach Matilda Horn.Lauren Henry is the best female single sculler that Britain has had for a long time.Henry set a new event record for the 2,112-metre course of 7:55.
A HRR press release described the race:
Lauren Henry of Leicester Rowing Club took on Frida Nielsen in the final of The Princess Royal Challenge Cup. The race wasn’t won at the start but developed in pristine fashion. Henry, down a length at Remenham Farm and then just a canvas at Fawley, would mesmerise any viewer with her technique. Cool, calm and collected, she reaped the reward of her skilful strokes, leading by three lengths by the Hole in the Wall. Fast moving in flowing waters, Henry crossed the line seven seconds ahead of the previous record, another notch on her highly impressive belt.
Henry moved into a single after winning gold in the quad at the Paris Olympics. She won the women’s single sculls at the 2025 European Rowing Championships and set a new British record and European best time. It was the second fastest time ever recorded in the women’s single sculls event. Picture: Row360.Hollandia’s victorious female sweep rowers celebrate in traditional style.
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