The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, a cornerstone of North American rowing, is set to ignite Martindale Pond in St. Catharines, Ontario, from August 5th to 10th. This year’s regatta promises unparalleled excitement, especially as it marks the first time since 2015 that the RCA Senior National Team will be present, offering a unique opportunity for domestic athletes to measure their prowess against Canada’s elite. With no National Championships scheduled this year, the Henley Regatta became the singular stage for Canadian rowers to truly size themselves up against the national squad. Adding to the international flair, a significant contingent of athletes from Mexico, the USA, and Australia will join the competition across championship events. Beyond the thrilling races, attendees will have a special chance to connect with the national team athletes at a dedicated meet and greet on Friday, August 8th.
Men’s Championship Single
Entries: 23
2024 Champion: Breck Duncan (Penn AC)
Rowing Canada has two current national team athletes racing the men’s champ single, Trevor Jones and Terek Been. Trevor is a two-time U23 world champion in the single (2017 & 2018), and he also raced in the Tokyo Olympic Games, where he came ninth. Trevor showed good speed in early racing through the Paris cycle, but did not make it to Paris. Since then, Lauren Fisher has taken over coaching the Canadian men, and it is exciting to see what speed this translates to. Alongside Trevor in the championship men’s single is Terek Been, the current holder of the Canadian 2k erg record (5:38.2). Terek was a member of the Canadian eight that narrowly missed out on Paris in 2024. `
Sean Richardson and Mark Couwenhoven raced for the USA at the 2023 Pan American Games, with Richardson placing sixth and fourth in the lightweight double and eight, and Couwenhoven winning gold and bronze in the mixed eight and men’s double. Justin Schmidt has not repped the stars and stripes internationally but appears to be on track for an international honour soon – he won the lightweight men’s single event at the USA Senior Trials over the weekend, and last year won the lightweight single at Canadian Henley and Head of the Charles. Honourable mention to Kevin Meador, who raced the single at the 2018 and 2019 World Rowing Championships for the USA.
Three Canadian national team alumni are racing in this event as well, all from the St. Catharines area. Charles-Etienne Tabet is fresh off a 13th place at the 2025 World University Games in the heavyweight single – he is the reigning national champion in the lightweight single. Matthew Finley was the 2015 U23 world champion in the quad and won both the championship and senior single events in 2023. Stephen Harris is a two-time bronze medallist in the lightweight single at the U23 World Rowing Championships, and also raced to fourth and fifth place at the 2023 Pan Am Games in the mixed eight and lightweight double. He placed second in the championship single last year while winning the senior single – he also won the National championship in the openweight single, beating Terek Been, who placed fourth.
Andre Emil Simsch Flores has raced internationally for Mexico four times as a U23 athlete. He may be a contender along with Bradley Horvitz and Webster Thompson.
Prediction
Trevor Jones will take the win, but Stephen Harris will make it a race to remember!
Men’s Championship Pair
Entries: 13
2024 Champion: Nathaniel Sass/Collin Hay (RowBuffalo)
Joel Cullen and Steven Rosts bring significant international and national experience. Cullen, a member of the Canadian men’s eight who just missed out on qualifying for Paris and a national champion in the pair with Jack Walkey, demonstrates consistent top-tier performance. Rosts, a silver medallist in the single at the 2023 National Rowing Championships and winner in the pair in 2024, will be looking to build on that success. The duo of Sam Stewart and Maijken Meindertsma arrives with strong momentum, fresh off a commendable fifth-place finish at the recent Marlow Regatta. Stewart, a silver medallist in the coxless four at last year’s FISU World University Rowing Championships, and Meindertsma, a U23 World Rowing Championships participant, are making their debut for the Canadian senior men’s team. Rounding out the formidable Canadian contingent are Ryan Clegg and Axel Ewashko. Ewashko was also a member of the coxless four that won silver in the men’s four at the FISU World University Rowing Championships and won a national championship in the pair with Rosts.
There will be many rematches in this event, and scores to settle from last year. Nathaniel Sass is the returning champion in this event, and the 2022 U23 world champion in the lightweight pair (for USA). He is rowing with a new partner, Lars Finlayson, who has raced in the Penn 1V8 and 2V8 this past season. The second-place finishers from last year (who also placed second in the senior pair and senior four) are returning – Carter Cranmer-Smith and Albert Harkema. This duo won the senior four in 2023, and Harkema won bronze in the single at the 2024 Canadian Nationals.
William Klipstine and Andrew Soman placed third last year, and went on to place 13th at the 2024 U23 World Rowing Championship in the USA coxless four. Winning the senior pair last year were Jordy Luis Gutierrez Castillo and Hugo Alejandro Reyes Antillon from Mexico – Gutierrez Castillo also placed fifth in the championship single. Jesse Ryno is fresh off a B-final win at the World University Games in the USA coxless four, and is racing for Craftsbury.
Caillen Pieckenhagen won the CSSRA title this summer in the single, and is the 2024 junior men’s pair national champion. He is racing with Michael Gore, Syracuse freshman and his teammate on the Canadian junior team for the 2023 CanAmMex Regatta – these two are promising stars for the future.
Prediction
Joel Cullen and Steven Rosts to win Henley gold.
Men’s Championship Eight
Entries: 10
2024 Champion: California Rowing Club
The RCA men’s eight entry enters as the favourite for this race, bringing together a mix of national team veterans and proven collegiate performers. Coxing the boat is Laura Court, a highly experienced and successful leader with a remarkable track record. A two-time U23 world champion in the women’s eight, she has also been the coxswain for the Canadian men’s eight at multiple World Rowing Cups and World Rowing Championships, showcasing her ability to guide top-tier crews to success. Oliver Page-Kuhr, an Empacher-IRCA First Team All-American from Brown University, brings a winning mentality from his time in the highly competitive NCAA circuit. Alongside him are Aidan Hembruff, named the national U23 Athlete of the Year for his strong performances at the U23 World Rowing Championships, and Steven Rosts, who was part of the Canadian quad at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. Axel Ewashko was a member of multiple CURC winning crews with UBC and a former U23 Canadian team member, alongside fellow Thunderbird Joel Cullen, who has also competed for Canada at international events. The boat is rounded out by the talent of Samuel Stewart and Ryan Clegg, who rowed with the Canadian men’s eight in the lead-up to the Paris Olympic Games. This lineup combines a wealth of experience, raw power, and championship-level leadership, making them a top contender in the men’s championship eight event.
The SCRC/UVic composite men’s eight crew is an intriguing blend of decorated junior talent and established university rowers. At the heart of this crew is Lucas Maroney, a generational talent from Dartmouth College. Maroney’s resume is exceptional, highlighted by being a three-time U19 World Rowing Championships representative and a three-time recipient of the Rowing Canada Junior Male Athlete of the Year award, also known as the Jack Guest Award. Coxswain Sascha Jansen-Rudan has consistently steered the University of Victoria’s top crews to success in the fiercely competitive Canadian university circuit. The stroke seat is occupied by Giancarlo DiPompeo, who was recognised as the 2024 Rowing Canada U23 Male Athlete of the Year. The crew also features the powerful Bartel cousins, Owen and Kai. Owen’s 2023 victory in the Canadian University Rowing Championships’ men’s single event and Kai’s experience in various university boats provide a strong foundation for the crew’s power. Together, this crew represents a formidable challenge, combining the individual brilliance of a few standout athletes with the collective strength of a unified university program.
California are the defending champions – despite having no returning athletes, their lineup could make this race very interesting. Stroke seat James Wright was a three-time junior national team member and stalwart of the Stanford 1V8+, Charles Jones has raced the quad twice at U23 World Rowing Championships, and Nathan Fineman raced in the men’s eight at the U19 World Rowing Championships in 2024. He also pulled a 6:01 2k erg at age 17, but he is in good company in this crew – Julian Leonhardt (6:01), Tobias Finn (5:58), and Rex Bales (6:02) all hold the program record 2k ergs for their respective schools. Bales was part of a barnburner race, defeating Oxford Brookes in The Prince Albert Challenge Cup this summer.
Wisconsin’s crew in the second heat looks to be a strong lineup, featuring William Klipstine and Andrew Soman who placed third in the championship pair last year and went on to place 13th at the 2024 U23 World Rowing Championship in the USA men’s coxless four. Luke Lehmann placed top eight in The Prince Elizabeth Challenge Cup (JM8+) at the 2024 Henley Royal Regatta.
Buffalo won the senior eight last year, and have entered both their U23 crew and their senior lightweight crew into the championship eight event. With the U23 crew (largely the same lineup) also racing in the senior and dash events, they could be a well-drilled threat to make the final.
Prediction
Hard to bet against the National team from RCA.
