2014 Henley Royal Regatta Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, it is time for Henley Royal Regatta again. Above, you will find Tim Koch's brilliant little film about the 2011 Henley Royal - it will for sure get you in the right mood for the Regatta. Below, is a press release from the HRR Stewards. As usual HTBS's Tim Koch will give you reports from the riverbanks at Henley.

HRR press release:

The scene is set for a high-calibre Henley Royal Regatta, celebrating the 175th Anniversary of the first Regatta in 1839, with many Olympic and World Champions from around the world taking part.

The Great Britain Rowing Team was the top nation at the recent European Championships in Belgrade and eight of its crews will be competing in the top events at this year’s Henley Royal Regatta.

The British Eight, racing as Leander Club and University of London, are European Bronze Medallists and will meet the French National Eight, racing as Club France in a straight final. The winning crew will be the first to have their names engraved on the brand new base of The Grand Challenge Cup.

At the European Championships the new British Four were outstanding, demolishing a strong field and winning comfortably. Alex Gregory, Mo Sbihi, George Nash and Andy Triggs Hodge, racing as Molesey Boat Club and Leander Club in The Stewards’ Challenge Cup, face national crews from Germany, France and China.

In The Queen Mother Challenge Cup for men’s quads the British World and European Silver Medallists, racing as Leander Club and Agecroft Rowing Club, will face tough opposition from the national crews from Australia, France and the Netherlands.

The Remenham Challenge Cup for women’s eights has attracted national crews from Great Britain, Australia and the Netherlands, as well as the top Varsity crew from Yale University. The British Eight will be racing as Leander Club and Imperial College London.

Olympic Champions in Single Sculls – Mahe Drysdale from New Zealand and Mirka Knapkova from the Czech Republic – will attempt to regain the Henley Trophies that they have held before. Drysdale has won The Diamond Challenge Sculls three times already but could go head-to-head with Olympic Bronze Medallist, Great Britain’s Alan Campbell. This event has attracted a truly international field with scullers from Australia, Lithuania, South Africa, Israel and the U.S.A.

The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for School Eights will see Abingdon School seeking to defend the trophy that it won for the third consecutive time last year.

A total of 494 crews have entered this year’s Regatta, including 107 crews from 20 overseas countries.

The Chairman of the Committee of Management, Mike Sweeney, said ‘This year is the 175th Anniversary of the Regatta and I am delighted to welcome so many top crews from all around the world to help us to celebrate this special occasion.’

You will find the entries for this year’s Regatta, here.