2012 HRR: “It’s the same but it’s different”

Light shower at HRR.

HTBS's Hélène Rémond walked around with her camera at Henley Royal Regatta looking for that particular Henley atmosphere:

“This is Henley. It’s the same but it’s different”, said Lord Mayor of London Alderman David Wootton in his speech before the prize-giving ceremony of the 163rd edition of the Henley Royal Regatta.

And it’s quite true! First held in 1839, HRR is a historic event that is anchored in tradition but it meets with changes. For instance, this year saw the introduction of the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls.

On one hand, this is the place where the world’s best crews race. There were 499 entries this year, 133 of which came from overseas. On the other hand it is a major sports festival where many rowing enthusiasts meet. HRR is part of the English social season which follows naturally after Royal Ascot. 250,000 spectators gather for the occasion. Henley actually succeeds in maintaining the atmosphere of an English Garden Party of the Edwardian period.

Lasting for five days, HRR has an increased popularity when the week-end approaches. Arriving by train, you witness a repeated procession of festival-goers.

Each year, at HRR, you discover a variety of elegant clothes. Especially at the Stewards’ Enclosure, a private club where only members and their guests are allowed admission. They are required to dress in conformity with long-established tradition. Men must wear lounge suits, jackets or blazers with flannels and a tie or cravat. Ladies wear dresses or skirts with a hemline below the knee. The public cannot buy a badge to enter the Stewards’. Just opposite, at Phyllis Court, men show they have a soft spot for boaters. Behind the scene of the regatta, north of Butler’s Field – one of the car parks, the British countryside shows its treasures. In another car park, at Henley Cricket Club, visitors have decided to unpack their wicker basket for a car boot picnic.

Watching the races from the Regatta’s Enclosure is an option – this area is accessible to any member of the general public – or you can go down to the riverbank since there is a significant stretch of the rowing course which is not encompassed within any enclosure (see map of the course). The atmosphere there is not as ‘stylish’ as it is at the Stewards’. The style is more informal. There are numerous stalls and stands serving food along the course. By the way, women are allowed to wear whatever they like there. On Saturday evening, this area becomes very lively with music bands playing, people having drinks and partying – some using a fishbowl to serve a very special cocktail with drinking straws. There were additional police officers on patrol to prevent “misbehaviour” due to the consumption of alcohol. Visitors were advised that the police would take a firm approach to incidents or anti-social behaviour. Leaflets were posted at the train stations.

Of course, for the price of a boating license or for the hire of a boat, anyone can go out on the river and enjoy the spectacle from the water. There is also a variety of boats spotted (see photos of the Sebago shoe, etc.) The ceremony is also unchanged at the end of the prize-giving and everybody stands still when the national anthem is played.

For those who could not make it to HRR, the Regatta Radio was providing the listeners with some insight of both the pressures of rowing at the regatta and life in Henley. The Regatta Radio was at the prize-giving ceremony, too. “See you next year”, said Peter McConnell, who was among the ones updating the news on the Radio. HTBS is saying the same thing…

Stewards' Badges.

Phylis Court and boaters.

Colourful blazers.

Busy river on a Saturday evening.

These young ladies will not pass the dress code.

Walking with high heels over the bridge.

Procession 1.

Procession 2.

Along the riverbank.

Car Boot Picnic.

Henley Cricket Club for Car Boot Picnic.

British countryside.

Henley Designated Public Place Order.

Police patrol.

Having fun pretending to be serious press members on the riverbank.

Anybody can go on the water.

Amphibious car.

Sebago Shoe and boat.

National anthem.

Regatta Radio with Peter McConnell.

This is the end.

(Photograph & copyright: Hélène Rémond)

Henley Royal Regatta Through French Eyes

Mickaël Molina and Benjamin Lang gave France its only victory in this year's Henley Royal Regatta.

HTBS’s Hélène Rémond reports about two French crews racing at the Henley Royal this year:

“You should visit Henley at least once in a lifetime” say Benjamin Lang (Emulation Nautique Bordeaux) and Mickaël Molina (Sport Nautique Compiégnois) who have just won the Silver Goblets & Nickalls’ Challenge Cup at the 163rd Henley Royal Regatta.

And what a victory! Whereas they failed to qualify for the men’s eight in Lucerne to take part in the London Olympic Games, their participation in Henley has no doubt cheered them up.

When I met them after they easily beat the British internationals Dan Ritchie and Tom Broadway of Leander Club, on Saturday afternoon, they felt very enthusiastic about their first Henley experience. From the start, they rowed at an astonishing 56 strokes a minute which enable them to get a quick lead by three lengths. Even though the gap closed past Fawley, the French pair put in some powerful strokes and won easily. Just like when they were racing the Greek duo Christomanos and Lampridis in the finals.

For the French pair, it was a dream come true. “It’s a historic event”, says Benjamin, “it’s where all the British aristocracy met. It’s a very special regatta for us French. It’s full of folklore”. For Mickaël it has something of a “huge wedding” over it. “It’s amazing to see these tall men wearing colourful blazers and ties. And women wearing dresses or skirts with a hemline below the knee at a regatta. We have never seen so many spectators. The clamour of the crowd is tremendous. It’s amazing to hear a jazz band along the course. We’re not used to that. It’s magical”, he says. There were also other aspects they had to handled. “The wind and the current were against us. There were also waves made by motor boats. The course is 1 mile 550 yards in length (2,112m) and we’re neither used to that distance, nor to match racing. It had a disorientating effect but we had identified visual cues like the Redgrave bar.” And they made a great race! “It was an enriching experience. It was exceptional majestic”, they both agree. And a good preparation for the World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships that take place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in August later this year.

Benjamin Manceau, coxswain for the French women's eight rowing in the Remenham Challenge Cup.

The experience was also very enriching for the French women’s eight which was coxed by Benjamin Manceau of Angers Nautique Aviron, which took part in the Remenham Challenge Cup. Even if they did not have any success in the quarter finals, the oarswomen from Aviron Grenoblois (Nadia Gully, Sara Prochasson, Margaux Segrais), Toulouse Aviron Sports et Loisirs (Roxanne Gabriel, Anne Jouy), Societé d’Encouragement du Sport Nautique (Floriane Garcia), Cercle Nautique Annecy (Marion Riallet), and Société Nautique Avignon (Charlotte Culty) put up a creditable performance. “It was a pity the draw made us row against the Canadian eight”, says Roxanne. “They train all the time. They are part of the Olympic Reserve squad. Whereas we only trained together during 5 days, a week before the HRR, in Grenoble”. “But it is an honour to be at Henley Royal Regatta. It has a prestigious atmosphere”, adds Nadia. According to Marion, “It has another dimension. We have never seen so many spectators at a rowing regatta. It is encouraging. It was a great experience.” And it was made possible thanks to Alain Waché, president of the Rhône-Alpes League in Grenoble who consolidated the boat coordination.

Gloriana's Outing At 2012 HRR

HTBS’s Hélène Rémond was lucky to be invited on board the press launch during the Gloriana’s outing on the regatta course at the Henley Royal Regatta. Hélène writes,

At 11 a.m. on Sunday, 1 July, the day of the Finals at the Henley Royal Regatta, 18 former Olympians representing Great Britain between 1948 and 2008 rowed the royal barge the Gloriana, which was the lead vessel at the Diamond Jubilee Pageant last month, past the regatta’s spectators. They were a great attraction on the river. A few members of the press have been invited to follow the row-past, being a good film and photo opportunity. My film and photographs can be seen above and below.

In the Gloriana Olympic crew were :

Louis Attrill who attended the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney
Chris Baillieu, 1976 Montreal and 1980 Moscow
Bill Barry, 1964 Tokyo
Guin Batten, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sidney
Paul Bircher, 1948 London
Catherine Bishop, 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sidney, 2004 Athens
Ed Coode, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens
Tim Crooks, 1972 Munich, 1976 Montreal
Simon Dennis, 2000 Sydney
Rowley Douglas, 2000 Sydney
Adrian Ellison, 1984 Los Angeles, 1992 Barcelona
Mike Hart, 1972 Munich, 1976 Montreal
Ben Hunt Davis, 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney,
Mike Lapage, 1948 London
Gillian Lindsay, 1992 Barcelona, 2000 Sydney
Alison Mowbray, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens
Fred Scarlet, 2000 Sydney
Jonny Searle, 1992, Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta
Elise Sherwell, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing
Steve Trapmore, 2000 Sydney
Kieran West, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens
Sarah Winckless, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing

And then some still photographs from the event:

(Photograph & copyright: Hélène Rémond)

Glorious Gloriana

The silver and the grey. Former Olympians sit behind the Henley Trophies.

HTBS’s Tim Koch saw the marvellous barge Gloriana at Henley Royal Regatta. Tim writes,

HTBS has previously reported on the Gloriana, the 18-oared, 88 foot / 27 metre ‘rowbarge’  produced for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. While it looks magnificent from a distance, it is only close up that one can fully appreciate how it cost £500 000 / $785 000 and why £4000 / $6300 was spent on gold leaf. At this year’s Henley Royal Regatta, the Gloriana was moored at the pontoon and boat tent area for everyone to see.

On the day of the finals it was rowed over the course by 18 British rowing Olympians dating from the 1948 to the 2008 Games. They were part of a remarkable gathering of 170 men and women who have rowed for Britain in past Olympic Regattas. Their number included Paul Bircher and Michael Lapage from the 1948 GB Eight. At the prize giving ceremony this exclusive group sat behind the trophies, adding even more lustre to the occasion.

Lord Stirling, who underwrote the cost of the Gloriana project, has said that the craft will be around for ‘a couple of hundred years’. See it in close up and you can only agree.

Gloriana moored by the boat tent area at Henley.

 Gloriana oars

Gloriana Royal Arms

Gloriana Rudder

Gloriana seat

Gloriana stern

 Gloriana window

Gloriana Jack Staff

(Photograph & copyright: Tim Koch)

Tim Koch: 2012 Henley Royal Regatta – The Winners

Tim Koch reports from England:

Uniquely in the international rowing scene, Henley Royal Regatta does not operate under the rules of the international governing body, FISA, or of the British governing body, British Rowing, as it existed long before these young upstarts came into being. Thus, in an Olympic year, it finds itself outside of the run up to the big event. ‘The Royal’ is not especially put out by this and strives to put on the best show it can. Thus, 2012 saw a large turnout of Under 23s, lightweights, development crews and those who had missed Olympic selection, many aware that this could be their best chance of winning at such a prestigious regatta. There was only one crew competing that was bound for the Olympics, the German Women’s Eight.

The very strong stream caused by the land water from recent heavy rain and frequent headwinds gave the lightweight rowers and scullers and the new junior women’s quad event a hard time and no course records were broken. More importantly the stream made things very difficult for those on the ‘Bucks’ (town side) station in the later stages of the race. For the spectators the weather conditions were more benign than conditions preceding the Regatta had threatened.

There was an entry of 499 with 133 crews and scullers from overseas. Taking a parochial view of the Regatta, ten of the twenty trophies went abroad. This is no reflection on the state of British rowing. With the old country competing in 13 of the 14 events at Dorney, the cream of British rowing is in pre-Olympic training.

Here is a round up of Sunday’s finals with apologies to those I have not pictured, this is not a reflection of your efforts.

Men’s Open Events

The Grand Challenge Cup (8+): California R.C, U.S.A. beat Brown University, U.S.A., by 1 ¼ lengths.

The Stewards’ Challenge Cup (4-): National Rowing Centre of Excellence ‘A’, Australia, beat Waiariki Rowing Club, New Zealand, by 2/3 length.

The Queen Mother Challenge Cup (4x): N.R.C.E, Australia, beat Victoria City Rowing Club, Canada, by 1 ½ lengths.

The Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup (2-): Minola and Lang, France, beat Christomanos and Lampridis, Greece, easily. (Photograph & copyright: Hélène Rémond)

The Double Sculls Challenge Cup (2x): Collins and Sinclair, Leander Club, beat Berntsen and Grepperud, Norway, by 4 ¼ lengths.

The Diamond Challenge Sculls (1x): Lambert, South Africa, beat Collins, Agecroft R.C. by 3 ¼ lengths.

Women’s Open Events

The Remenham Challenge Cup (8+): Western R.C, Canada, beat Dortmund Rowing Center, Germany, by 2 lengths.

The Princess Grace Challenge Cup (4x): N.R.C.E, Australia, beat Hollandia Roeiclub, Holland, easily.

The Princess Royal Challenge Cup (1x): Isolda Penney, Canada, beat Pajusalu, Estonia, easily.

Men’s Intermediate Events

The Ladies’ Challenge Plate (8+): Harvard University, USA, beat Leander Club, by 1 foot.

The 1 Mile marker in the background shows that at that point, Leander had a clear water lead over Harvard. The 1 1/8 Mile marker in the foreground shows that at that point Leander’s lead had been reduced to 1/3 of a length.

Passing the Progress Board. With less than ten strokes to go, Leander still lead.

The boats cross the line. Leander’s rowing became increasingly ineffective towards the end – had they let Harvard through?

 Harvard number 3, DiSanto, is confident that they won.

The Leander cox raises her hand to speak to the Umpire.

A photo-finish gave it to Harvard by one foot in the fastest time of the day.

The legendary Harry Parker, Harvard coach for fifty years. It was his 11th Henley win. I have no knowledge as to the current state of Harry’s health but he looked well to me. In his speech, Henley Chairman Mike Sweeney paid tribute to Harry’s semi-centenary and the crowd responded warmly to the sentiment. I witnessed a most telling incident which showed the respect and affection with which Coach Parker is held. A very senior Steward of the Regatta, a man who is the epitome of the British ‘stiff upper lip’, greeted Harry with a spontaneous hug. You have to be very special for an Englishman of this gentleman’s age and class to act like this.

Three Britons were in the Harvard boat including stroke Patrick Lapage. He was watched by his grandfather, Michael, who rowed at Henley in the 1948 Olympics. HTBS has previously written about the rowing Lapages.

The Visitors’ Challenge Cup (4-): Oxford Brooks University and Molesey B.C. beat Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Nereus, Holland, easily.

The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup (4x): Leander Club beat Durham University and University of London, by 2 ¼ lengths.

Men’s Club Events

The Thames Challenge Cup (8+): Molesey B.C. beat Thames R.C. ‘A’ by 2 lengths.

The Wyfold Challenge Cup (4-): Nottingham R.C. ‘A’ beat ANA Rowing Club, Australia, by 2 lengths.

The Britannia Challenge Cup (4+): Star Club beat Taurus B.C. by 3 feet.

Men’s Student Events

The Temple Challenge Cup (8+): University of Washington, U.S.A. beat Brown University, U.S.A., by 3 lengths.

The Prince Albert Challenge Cup (4+): University of London ‘A’ beat Newcastle University by ¾ length.

Men’s Junior Events

The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup (8+): Abingdon School beat Radley College by ¾ length.


The Fawley Challenge Cup (4x): Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School beat Marlow R.C. ‘A’ by ¾ length.

Women’s Junior Event

Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls (4x): Henley R.C. beat Canford School by 2 ½ lengths.

Finally, a shock result - HTBS mixed pair wins Grand Challenge Cup!

(Photographs & copyright: Tim Koch, unless otherwise noted)

2012 Henley Royal Regatta Is Over

In the photograph above, HTBS’s correspondents Hélène Rémond and Tim Koch are drinking a toast to all the winners! HTBS will be back with more articles and photographs from this year’s Henley Royal tomorrow, Tuesday.

2012 HRR: Ladies Last

One historic crew in the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls: Walford Anglican School for Girls, Adelaide, Australia.

HTBS’s Tim Koch continues to report from Henley Royal Regatta:

Traditionally, Henley Royal Regatta was a man’s event. However, times change and, while the sometimes cussed Regatta does not like to admit to it, Henley changes with it. It is a paradox that, to appear to be unchanging, an event or institution must constantly evolve. In this spirit, this year’s Henley saw the introduction of the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls, an event for ‘crews from any one club or school, home or overseas, where no sculler will have attained her eighteenth birthday before the first day of September preceding the event’. With the exception of masters and lightweights, junior women was the last rowing group to be unrepresented at ‘The Royal’.

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of talking to the girls from Walford Anglican School for Girls, Adelaide, Australia. They were the only foreign entry amongst the seven others in the event. They usually row in eights, but Meg Barnett, Georgia Day, Hannah Jury and Georja Osborne won a place in the quad through a qualifying time trial. A trip to the U.K. was always going to be exciting but the excitement increased as they discovered what a special event Henley is. They made history as they were in the first race in the new event but, sadly, they lost. In mitigation, they were 16 year-old sweep rowers in an event for 18 year-old scullers. Mike Sweeney, Chairman of the Regatta, said ‘We are confident that (the event) will establish itself very quickly. We’re delighted by the fifteen boat entry and think that the quality of racing so far has been good’.

There are many variations on the joke concerning someone thinking that the ‘Ladies’ Plate’ was a race for ladies but women and Henley have always had an interesting relationship. The social side of the Regatta has always, of course, welcomed ‘the fair sex’ and membership of the Stewards’ Enclosure has been open to women for many years. On the water it has been more difficult.

Mimi Sherman, cox of the Santa Clara University Heavyweight Men’s crew, was not allowed to cox her crew at the 1974 Henley Royal Regatta, but she did start something at Henley. Courtesy: Thomas E. Weil Collection.

In 1974 Mimi Sherman (‘the pig tailed Californian’), the cox of the Santa Clara University Heavyweight men’s crew was told by the Regatta that she could not compete as ‘it would be against the tradition of Henley’. She arrived in England anyway, hoping to change the Stewards’ minds. They did – but it took five months before they lifted the ban on women coxswains. Henley Chairman John Garton was quoted as saying ‘I would emphasize that this is in no way the thin end of the wedge. It is not a triumph for women’s lib – or any nonsense of that sort’. This gives the impression that the Chairman and the Committee of Management were ‘old fools’ but Garton went onto say ‘We may have to consider the introduction of women’s events before long’ and that ‘...the acceptance of a new situation brought about by a changing world..... cannot probably do the regatta any harm’.

Kingston Rowing Club tried to hurry things along when, in 1978, they sent in an entry for the Double Sculls in the name of A. Hohl and P. Bird. Regatta Chairman Peter Coni discovered that these were the maiden names of the two best female scullers of the day, Astrid Ayling and Pauline Hart. He was not amused.

Between 1981 and 1983 Henley tinkered with some women’s invitation events over a shortened course. The programme explained that the events ‘...will enable the Stewards to assess the feasibility of including races over the shorter course during the normal regatta programme, and the desirability of the considerable extension to the hours of racing which any full events for women would necessarily involve’. However, the experiment was carried out with little enthusiasm or thought and it ended without comment.

It was in 1993 that things got serious. An event for Open Women’s Single Sculls was introduced and was initially counted as a round of the World Cup. In 1996, the event was renamed the Princess Royal Challenge Cup. A women’s eights race was held as an invitation event in 1998 and 1999, but by 2000 it was formally incorporated into the regatta as an Open Women’s event. First called the Henley Prize, it is now the Remenham Challenge Cup. An Open Women’s Quadruple Sculls race was introduced in 2001 and in 2003 was renamed the Princess Grace Challenge Cup. No doubt, in time, the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls event will eventually get a more attractive name.

What of the future? The Regatta programme is already fairly crowded but I would think that a ‘club event’ for women would be the next step, probably a women’s ‘Thames Cup’. There is also the effect on Henley Women’s Regatta to consider. Mimi Sherman certainly started something.