Henley Royal Regatta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the river Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It lasts for 5 days (Wednesday to Sunday) over the first weekend in July. Races are head-to-head knock out competitions, raced over a course of 1 mile, 550 yards (2,112 m). The regatta regularly attracts international crews to race. The most prestigious event at the regatta is the Grand Challenge Cup for Men's Eights, which has been awarded since the regatta was first staged.
As the regatta pre-dates any national or international rowing organisation, it has its own rules and organisation, although it is recognised by both the Amateur Rowing Association (the governing body of rowing in England and Wales) and FISA (the International Federation of Rowing Associations).
The regatta is organised by the Stewards, who are largely former rowers themselves. Pierre de Coubertin is said to have modelled elements of the organisation of the International Olympic Committee on the Henley Stewards.
Contents |
[edit] Format of competition
[edit] Qualifying
Entries for the regatta open a few months before the event and close a few weeks before the racing commences.
To keep the quality of rowing high and so each crew only races once a day, each event has a limited number of places. Qualifying is held on the Friday before the event starts. Crews race down the course against the clock and the fastest crews qualify. Times are released for non-qualifying crews only. This does not stop an enthusiastic band of unofficial timers with synchronised watches working out how fast their first round opposition might be.
The Stewards will look at the results of previous races throughout the year and allow some of the competing crews to pre-qualify.
Crews which have performed well throughout the season, and international crews may be seeded, to prevent them from meeting too early in the competition. Such crews are referred to by the stewards as 'selected crews'.
[edit] The Draw
The draw is a public event that takes place in the Henley town hall. For each event the names of all selected crews are placed on pieces of paper which are then drawn at random from the grand challenege cup. These crews are then placed on the tournament sheet as far apart as possible.
The process may then be repeated for 'lesser' selected crews, who will be placed as far apart from the main seeds and each other as possible.
Finally the remaining qualifying crews are drawn from the cup, filling in from the top of the tournament sheet downwards, until all places have been filled.
[edit] Racing
Each event in the regatta takes the form of a knockout competition, consisting of two crews racing side by side down the Henley course.
The Henley course is marked out by two lines of booms (wooden bars which float on the water, secured between vertical poles), which are placed along the river to form a straight course 2,112m long. The course is wide enough to allow two crews to race down with a few metres between them. As such it is not uncommon for inexperienced steersmen or coxswains to crash into the booms, possibly costing their crew the race.
The race begins at the downstream end of Temple Island, where the crews attach to a pair of pontoons. The race marshal will then call out the names of the two crews and start them when they are both straight and ready.
Each crew is assigned to row on either the 'Bucks' (Buckinghamshire) or 'Berks' (Berkshire) side of the race course. The coxswains or steersmen are expected to keep their crew on this side of the course at all times during the race, else they risk disqualification. The only exception is when a crew leads by a sizeable margin and is not deemed to be impeding the trailing crew.
There are several progress markers throughout the course, the main ones being 'the barrier' and 'fawley'. Records are kept for the time crews take to reach these points, in addition to the time to the finish.
The regatta has official commentary, which is announced at various points along the course. The commentary is renowned for being unemotional and factual, with the commentator only allowed to announce the rate of striking, which crew is leading, the distance between the crews, and the progress marker which the crews are passing.
[edit] History
The regatta was first staged in 1839 and proved so successful that it was expanded the next year from one day to two the next year. Further expansion to three days in the late 19th century, 4 days in 1906 and five days in 1986 are proof of the regatta's importance.
The regatta has been known as Henley Royal Regatta since 1851, when Prince Albert became the first royal patron. Since his death, every reigning monarch has agreed to be the patron.
For many years, the entrants were controversially restricted to "gentlemen" (non-tradesmen) who did not work with their hands, which, according to popular belief, is the reason the regatta refused to allow future Olympic champions John B. Kelly, Sr., who was a bricklayer, to row in 1920 and Bobby Pearce, who was a carpenter, to row in 1928.
Excepting experiments in the early 1980s, the regatta was for male rowers only until 1993 (women had been permitted to cox for some time), when women's single sculls were introduced. Since then women's eights and women's quadruple sculls have also been added. Due to the increasing number of women rowing in Britain, Henley Women's Regatta was formed in 1988 although the subsequent inclusion of elite-level events at Henley Royal has reduced participation in the top events at Henley Women's somewhat. Henley Women's takes place 2 weeks before Henley Royal.
During 1908 and 1948, when London hosted the Olympics, the Olympic races were held on the regatta course. The Olympic races in 2012 will be held at Dorney Lake in Eton, the only event to be held outside of London aside from sailing, which will take place at Weymouth
[edit] Spectators
The racing can be viewed from a number of locations along both banks of the Thames. Areas open to the general public are generally on the Berkshire (towpath) side of the river. The other side of the river (Buckinghamshire) side is limited to the Phyllis Court club, private residences and areas for corporate entertainment.
[edit] Stewards' Enclosure
The enclosure situated on the Berkshire side, adjacent to the last part of the course and the finish line. It comprises two covered grandstands, a restaurant marquee, several bars, a bandstand and so on - all set in immaculately prepared lawns. It is only open to the Stewards of the Regatta, members of the Stewards Enclosure, their guests and those given tickets as part of a corporate hospitality package. Overseas competitors are also given the opportunity to purchase tickets.
The waiting list for membership of the Stewards Enclosure is several years long, although preference is given to people who have previously competed at the regatta. The waiting list has grown rapidly since the 1970s, when membership could be applied for and granted on the same day.
The social position of the event means that some in the Stewards' Enclosure (and elsewhere along the course) may have no interest in the actual rowing.
The Stewards' Enclosure is also known for a strict enforcement of its dress code. Men are required to wear a "lounge suit, blazer and flannels, or evening dress, and a tie". Women are required to wear a dress or skirt that covers their knees, and are "encouraged to wear a hat". Anyone not suitably dressed can be refused entry, no matter their prestige in rowing or elsewhere. Mobile phone use is also prohibited.
The regatta prizegiving takes place in the Stewards' Enclosure after the conclusion of racing on Sunday.
[edit] Regatta Enclosure
The Regatta Enclosure is situated immediately downstream of the Stewards Enclosure and further away from the finish. This enclosure is open to all on payment of the admission fee. Competitors gain free access to this area. There is no dresscode.
[edit] Remenham Club
Remenham Club is situated a little over half way along the course on the Berkshire side of the river. It is a social club run by and for members of seven rowing clubs on the Thames (the "Founding Clubs"): Kingston Rowing Club, London Rowing Club, Molesey Boat Club, Staines Boat Club, Thames Rowing Club, Twickenham Rowing Club and Vesta Rowing Club. Remenham Club members take a close interest in the racing and the "Remenham Roar" is a notable sound of the Regatta. Remenham Club is open only to its members and guests. It has a similar dresscode to the Stewards Enclosure, though the rules on women's outfits are less restrictive.
[edit] Upper Thames Rowing Club
The clubhouse and frontage of Upper Thames Rowing Club is on the Berkshire side of the river, immediately downstream of Remenham Club. It has an informal atmosphere and no dresscode. It is only open to its members and their guests. UTRC lease the land downstream of their clubhouse to retailers, food vendors and bars.
[edit] Remenham Farm
The grassland and farm buildings on the Berkshire side from opposite the Fawley box down to a point just upstream of the Barrier (approximately the 1100m - 700m points on the regatta course) is owned by The Copas Partnership. They lease the land to a large number of retailers, food vendors and bars including the well-known Barn Bar.
[edit] Leander Club
The clubhouse and grounds of Leander Club is situated on the Berkshire side of the river beyond the finish line of the regatta course, between the boat tents and Henley Bridge. Leander Club has a large marquee constructed for the regatta week and holds a large function on the Saturday night of the Regatta. It is open only to its members and their guests and has a formal dresscode.
[edit] Phyllis Court
The Phyllis Court Club is situated on the Buckinghamshire side of the river, opposite the finish line. It is open only to its members and their guests. Although it has an excellent view of the finish line, is not generally frequented by rowers.
[edit] Events
The entry list for the 2006 regatta has been published. Details can be found on this page
A live videprinter service of each day's results is available on this page
The following events were offered at the 2005 regatta:
- Open Men
- Grand Challenge Cup (8+)
- Stewards' Challenge Cup (4-)
- Queen Mother Challenge Cup (4x)
- Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup (2-)
- Double Sculls Challenge Cup (2x)
- Diamond Challenge Sculls (1x)
- Intermediate Men
- Ladies' Challenge Plate (8+)
- Visitors' Challenge Cup (4-)
- Men's Quadruple Sculls (4x)
- Club Men
- Thames Challenge Cup (8+)
- Wyfold Challenge Cup (4-)
- Britannia Challenge Cup (4+)
- Student Men
- Temple Challenge Cup (8+)
- The Prince Albert Challenge Cup (previously known as Men's Student Coxed Fours) (4+)
- Junior Boys
- Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup (8+)
- Fawley Challenge Cup (4x)
- Open Women
- Remenham Challenge Cup (8+)
- Princess Grace Challenge Cup (4x)
- Princess Royal Challenge Cup (1x)
[edit] See also
- The Boat Race
- Henley Boat Races
- Jack Beresford
- Sir Stephen Redgrave
- Leander Club
- Remenham Club
- Henley-on-Todd Regatta
