We have reached the summit. As a rowing community, there are few weeks in the calendar that we collectively look forward to more than Henley Royal Regatta. The unique match-racing style format, the frivolity and festival unfolding on the banks alongside a pomp and circumstance that transports the punter back through the pages of time itself. All of this is secondary though to the curvature of competition that angles upwards as the week unfolds. From heats on the Tuesday to finals on the Sunday, all roads lead to the red box. JRN will be with you every step of the way to provide the most comprehensive coverage of the Regatta available anywhere in the world – and we start with our exclusive set of event previews. Roll on the racing.
Total Entries: 69 (To be reduced to 24 by Qualifying Races)
Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club
If Windsor are known for one thing, it is their calm yet clinical potency on stages such as Henley. After a reserved start to the season, it is clear they are now firing on all cylinders, with convincing wins at both National Schools’ Regatta and Marlow Regatt, with the latter coming as recently as last week. This plainly makes them the crew to beat, and, as a club which has made the final of the Fawley Challenge Cup six times in the last ten years, they know how to handle that type of pressure. Although their competition may be gradually narrowing the gap they have established, it is anyone’s guess if it will be enough to topple the titans. Furthermore, the talent and experience they have in their boat is undeniable, with two of the crew selected to represent Great Britain at the Munich International Junior Regatta back in May.
Leander Club
Leander has momentum on their side, with a short sabbatical from the podium now cut short with a comfortable second at Marlow Regatta. It cannot be forgotten that we are talking about the current holders of the Fawley Challenge Cup, a title which they will undoubtedly fight ferociously to keep. Speaking to members of this crew, they seem quietly confident that their efforts are paying off, with the gap to Windsor closing slowly, but potentially prophetically. The race pace of the two crews appears to back that theory, with splits after the first 500 looking remarkably similar at Marlow. Additionally, the Henley course may give them a small home water advantage, as they can boat and race in a familiar environment.
Los Gatos Rowing Club, U.S.A.
Los Gatos, at least on the surface, are the most threatening international entry in the event. This season has seen them take a long-awaited gold at the USRowing Youth National Championships by about a second. Furthermore, last year, they were the last international crew standing, making it to the semi-finals before finally succumbing to Hinksey Sculling School. With not one but two crews sent across the pond by coach Channing Walker, clearly the California-based club has confidence in their squad and its depth. What remains to be seen is how much more intense the competition is this year compared to last time, and whether these Fawley frequenters will truly be able to stack up against the clubs who have been battling it out together all year. Additionally, it seems all members of last year’s successful quad have graduated, meaning the coaches will have had to start with a clean slate this season.
Hinksey Sculling School
Hinksey are a club quickly gaining a reputation for peaking unerringly at Henley Royal Regatta, with two finals in the last three years under their belts,. In 2023, they produced the underdog story of the Regatta by getting all the way to the Sunday. 2024 has seen their results continue to stack up well domestically, with a third-placed finish at the Schools’ Head of the River, a result they matched at the National Schools’ Regatta. Since then, they have had a slightly disappointing Marlow Regatta, placing fifth, evidently letting some crews they previously bested get the jump on them. They have struggled with their catch placement all season, and have also been known to come out of the blocks a little slow. They have made efforts to correct this, and with a new seat order since the National Schools’ Regatta, we will have to see what effect this has had. Regardless of these issues, Henley is the event they aim for, and, whatever the result, you can be certain you’ll see the best performances of their season.
Marlow Rowing Club
Bearing eerie resemblance to crews like Radley on the sweep side, this boat club are drafting a narrative of numerous near-misses. With a second-placed finish at the National Schools’ Regatta, followed by third at Marlow Regatta, this is Marlow’s last opportunity to re-write the story, and there is no better stage to do so than Henley Royal Regatta. Unfortunately, last year they never seemed to find their footing on the turbulent Henley waters, getting knocked out in the heats by Los Gatos. These athletes have been racing in the same combination for two years now, so should have the consistency and trust when the going gets tough.
Hartpury College
Since slotting in Elliott Donovan-Davies, who claimed the win in the championship single scull at the National Schools’ Regatta in record time and then joined the leagues of the sub-six two-kilometre ergo club, Hartpury have only been getting better and better. The ‘Pury Boys’ have turned a sixth-placed finish at the National Schools’ Regatta into a fourth at Marlow Regatta, slotting them in only a second behind Marlow and shaving a whopping 12 seconds off the gap to Windsor. They may have been knocked out in the heats last year, but if they can keep up this drive, they could be in for a far more fruitful week in 2024.
Ruderclub Zurich, Switzerland
Despite the fairly young age of this crew from Zurich, with two members being only U17, the club must believe they have the potential to compete at the top, particularly with the younger athletes seat-racing older athletes out of the crew for this opportunity. They have had a plethora of domestic results, mainly in smaller boats, such as gold in the U17 2x at Swiss Rowing Long Distance Trials, gold in the U17 2x at Regatta Cham, and a silver in the U19 4x at Regatta Sarnen. Furthermore, with coach Aaron Dürst moving on after this year, it is absolute that this crew will be looking to go out with a bang. However, with this being the cohort’s first international competition, it is ambiguous whether they will be able to hold their own against the more accomplished crews.
Whitemarsh Boat Club, U.S.A.
This is another really strong American quad who have decided to pitch up and take a crack at the best of the British. They have had a sensational domestic season, including wins at the Mid Atlantic Regional Regatta in the U19 quad, the Cooper Cup, the Mercer Sprints ISA Champs, Neczypor Regatta and a silver at the USRowing Youth National Championships behind Los Gatos. Whether Whitemarsh can challenge the fastest boats in the field remains to be seen but it is a great tribute to the Regatta that so many junior quads see Henley as the culmination of their season.
Texas Rowing Center, U.S.A.
Completing the podium at the USRowing Youth National Championships were Texas Rowing Center. We have the three fastest crews from the USA competing in the Fawley Challenge Cup in 2024, cementing the Regatta’s status as the premier junior competition in the world. This crew also finished first at the USRowing Central Youth Regionals and three of the boat were fourth at the San Diego Crew Classic.
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, U.S.A.
With an eight in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Belen Jesuit are attending the 2024 Henley Royal Regatta in force. Two of this crew won U17 men’s quads at the USRowing Youth National Championships and Belen were also crowned Southeast Regional champions in May. They were second at the American Youth Cup and also won silver at the Head of the Hooch in 2023.
Miami Rowing Club, U.S.A.
Eighth in the ‘A’ final of youth quads at the USRowing Youth National Championships – some 16 seconds back on the winners from Los Gatos – Miami are the fifth American crew competing at Henley Royal Regatta in the Fawley Challenge Cup. On paper, they’re the weakest of the bunch but still managed an ‘A’ final at their nationals.
Shiplake College
Bursting onto the scene at Marlow Regatta with a fourth-placed finish in the junior quad time-trial, Shiplake have certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons in the established order. Despite finishing eighth in the ‘A’ final, their performance did enough to convince the Stewards’ that they were worthy of a pre-qualification so they’ll be into the main draw and likely finding more speed with every passing day.
Ruder-Club Allemannia von 1866 e.V., Hamburg, Germany
Despite their rich heritage in quad sculling, we do not often see junior quads arriving on our shores from Germany but Allemannia are changing the status quo in 2024. Although unlikely to be challenging right at the business end of the competition, this crew contains a few pretty talented athletes including Daniel Schlothauer, who was a 2023 national champion in the U17 quad. The rest of his crew attended the German selection regatta and raced at the Munich International Junior Regatta in May.
Great Marlow School
After their blockbuster showing at the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head, where they won the junior quad category and posted the fastest time of the day, Director of Rowing Piers Barnett was quick to exercise caution. “It is great to take the junior quad title. However, we are under no illusions that due to trials, there were a lot of big hitters missing” he commented at the time and so it has proved as Great Marlow have slipped down the rankings over the course of the summer season. Fourth at the National Schools’ Regatta became sixth at Marlow and they now face an uphill battle to make the latter rounds of racing.
Tideway Scullers School
Another boat club whose early season performances had us in raptures, this crew will be desperate to emulate the successes of their 2021 cohort, who emerged victorious in the Fawley Challenge Cup. That seems to be a big ask for the Tideway Scullers School here, whose optimal result in a deep field might be a stab at Friday racing with a kind draw. Their win at the Schools’ Head of the River – in a field that featured Leander, Windsor Boys, Hinksey and Marlow – feels like quite a long time ago now.
Predictions
As has been heard time and time again, it is Windsor’s title to lose, although unlike in some previous years, it may not go all their way. The crews that survive till the weekend can often be swayed heavily by the luck of the draw, but it wouldn’t be a poor guess to predict Marlow and Leander making it. For the rest, it will be a wicked brawl, with Hartpury and Hinksey certain to be at the centre of the melee, alongside the likes of Los Gatos and Whitemarsh lurking for the right moment to strike.
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