It’s finally here. The most eagerly-anticipated starting grid in rowing. Yes, we have to go through qualifiers and yes, we have to wait to see what surprises the draw (and selections) throw up. But we now have enough flesh on the bone to start really mapping out what this year’s Henley Royal Regatta will look like. And boy does it look tasty.
Headlines
723 entries from 17 countries is another emphatic affirmation of the Regatta’s ever-increasing popularity, both at home and abroad. It’s the second-largest entry in history and features a record 581 domestic boats.
In their press release, the Stewards’ led with the statement that this year’s Regatta will see double the number of female athletes competing (1400 in 2023 compared to 700 in 2019). Credit to the management committee for bringing in the women’s events for students and juniors – the Island Challenge Cup has a whopping 44 boats registered whilst the Prince Philip will feature 31 crews (reduced to 20 by the time qualifiers has been and gone).
Open Events
I’ll just say it – the men’s open events are a little disappointing. It was to be expected after last year, where we basically had the national teams from Australia, New Zealand and the USA over to do battle. The Grand Challenge Cup is a straight shoot-out between GB and Canada whilst the Stewards’ Challenge Cup features three domestic crews, including two from Thames’ (who will likely be asked to race against each other on the Saturday). The Queen Mother matches 2022 pedigree though – four entries, including the reigning world champions from Poland.
In the smaller boats for men, there are a few real stand-outs – Ollie Zeidler returns to claim a third Diamond Challenge Sculls Trophy whilst the Spanish heavyweight men’s double have come for a rumble against the best of the British and two lightweights from Princeton in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup. One would expect Ollie Wynne-Griffith to claim his first Henley red box although stiff competition may come from two Varsity huskies from Rowing Canada alongside a tasty-looking combination from Yale and a Dutch crew that were fifth at the third World Cup in 2022. Interestingly, both the Double Sculls and Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ will only see eight crews take to the Regatta proper – two and four less than the respective women’s equivalent.
On the women’s side, things get a little tastier. The Netherlands will show off their U23 talent via Hollandia Roeiclub but entries from Canada, GB and two NCAA finalist boats from Princeton (3rd) and Texas (5th) should keep the Remenham Challenge Cup lively. The Town Challenge Cup seems to have only one ‘senior’ international boat from GB, but entries from Stanford (NCAA victors in the Varsity Eight), Northeastern, Syracuse and newly-minted national champions from Waikato Rowing Club in New Zealand leaves this one tantalisingly open. The Princess Grace looks like a match-up between the national crew from GB, an interesting combination from Canada who will be racing at WC2 and a fast U23 boat from the Netherlands.
The smaller boats could be compelling. Strong Danish, Dutch and Australian interest is the centrepiece of a Hambleden happening between the Kracklauer sisters – who both ply their trade in US collegiate programs – and a couple of strong British boats. The Stonor Challenge is similarly well-balanced whilst the Princess Royal is pretty strong – scullers from Azerbaijan (the legendary Diana Dymchenko, who hails from Ukraine originally), Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Poland, Germany (Ollie Zeidler’s little sister, Marie) and the USA.
Intermediate Events
None of the strong US collegiate interest that dominated last year’s rendition of the Ladies Challenge Plate, but the Netherlands and the UK’s U23 eights will likely face off in the foreground whilst Oxford Brookes and Leander renew rivalries. Any of the four could end up on top. I love the Visitors’ Challenge Cup – it’s unpredictable and features some of the Regatta’s most exciting combinations. 2023 is no different – Nereus, Harvard, Syracuse, Princeton and Melbourne University are some of the starry cast alongside a curious Leander/Real Club Espana, Mexico composite. Wherein I usually love the Visitors, I generally find the Prince of Wales (or the Leander Challenge Cup as I have come to know it) fairly dull. 2023 is threatening to buck that trend though, with entries up to a pulsating 29 and players from Denmark, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands likely to come up against Leander and Thames.
Club Events
The Thames Challenge Cup sees a reduced entry in 2022 but with Sydney bringing a strong eight alongside enigmatic outfits from two German clubs and the legendary ‘De Hoop’, this year could be very interesting. Thames will ride in as obvious favourites but we’ll wait to see what Molesey and the like can pull out of the bag to stop them. The Wyfold has a massive 60 entries and it’s pretty hard to look past the Putney-based juggernauts that usually dominate this category (although the German entries from both Neusser and Crefelder look competitive). The Britannia Challenge Cup for coxed fours is essentially a domestic affair, with Sydney’s second-ranked men’s crew the only entry from outside of the British and Irish isles.
I was hoping for a Wargrave Challenge Cup Waikato submission but alas, the girls from New Zealand have opted to ply their trade in the Town instead. Christiania Roklub, Norway – current national champions in the pair, coxless four and eight – are kicking about to try and stop one of Leander or Thames winning this one.
Student Events
Now we get into it. Whenever the racing schedule comes out, I unashamedly scan for student + junior racing first – this is where the magic usually happens. The Temple Challenge Cup has a whopping 80 entries with Colgate, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, Syracuse, Virginia and Washington all rocking up from the USA. Throw in a couple of Nereus crews, a boat from King’s College, Queensland, Australia and the obligatory Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Norway and things start to get real. The Prince Albert Challenge Cup was won by the indomitable Oxford Brookes last year and they arrive into 2023 as firm favourites again after a stunning domestic campaign. With boats from China, Ireland + the USA (including a 2V/3V hybrid from Brown) and the Netherlands, this could be a compelling narrative to follow from afar.
The Island Challenge Cup is already one of the Regatta’s most popular categories despite only debuting in 2021. Four of the top six boat clubs from the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship have brought crews to compete and Brookes, UL, Durham, Newcastle + a handful of Dutch boats will be there to meet them.
Junior Events
For me, these are the stand-out events on the roster this year. The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup was finally declassified by the Stewards’ to include clubs and the USA have not held back – Marin and Greenwich lead a charge backed by boats from Deerfield (until very recently a coxed four-focused program), Green Lake, St Joe’s Prep and Salisbury. Stadtteilschule Alter Teichweg from Hamburg and Brisbane Boys’ College of Australia (who celebrate the 30th anniversary of their last win in this event) are also present in an event that also includes British heavyweights from St Edward’s (recently minted national champions), St Paul’s, Eton, Radley, Shiplake and KCS. The Fawley Challenge Cup is usually one of the most over-subscribed trophies on the roster and 2023 is no different (70 entries). Can the Windsor Boys’ School retain their trophy or will new blood come to the fore from Leander Club, Marlow Rowing Club or perhaps one of an international contingent featuring national US silver medalists Los Gatos or a Sydney Rowing Club unit brimming with confidence?
The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy is four boats up on 2022 but will lose 11 via qualifiers. Holders St Catherine’s School from Australia are listed on the starting roster but this is a different St Catherine’s School, who instead hail from Sydney and placed second at the Australian Championships behind Melbourne Girls Grammar, who do return to HRR for a second year running. Both will face stern competition from American Varsity silver medalists Greenwich Crew and beaten 2022 finalists Winter Park School. Headington School, national champions in the UK, represent the best of a punchy home offering. The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup will see brutal qualifying races as 54 is slimmed to 24 before we even hit 9am on Tuesday 27th June. UK favourites Wycliffe will do battle against boats including Oregon Rowing Unlimited USA, three of whom won the U19 quad at the USRowing Youth Championships last weekend, Nereid Boat Club USA, who won at the Head of the Charles and are current USRowing Mid-Atlantic Champions, and Sydney Rowing Club, who have had to substitute one of their top girls out due to injury but will still turn out a very competitive crew.
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