It is testament to how far Henley Royal Regatta has pushed the envelope regarding rowing coverage that the drone, which felt like a very new and exciting feature just a decade ago, is now a staple part of so much televised rowing.
The operation to bring the Regatta to a wider and more internationally diverse audience began in 2015 with the inaugural broadcast (a commentary project in which yours truly was privileged to play – and continue to play – a role). Given we missed a year due to COVID-19, 2025 will be both the ten-year anniversary of the first broadcast and the tenth occasion it has been streamed for free on YouTube. Under the leadership and guidance of the Stewards and Sunset & Vine – who have been the broadcast partner since inception – the Regatta coverage has blossomed into one of the sport’s leading examples of what rowing can be when presented in the right way.
To commemorate this occasion – and because June wouldn’t feel right without some Henley-related hyperbole – we’re going to release a series of articles highlighting what we believe are some of the best races to have been broadcast on the big screen. We’re moving on to the ‘Club’ Trophies, fiercely fought by athletes whose responsibilities extend beyond the boat to full-time jobs.
#5 Molesey BC. ‘A’ v Thames RC ‘A’, Thames Challenge Cup (2022)
Maybe I’m suffering from a little recency bias here, but this was a genuinely compelling Thames Challenge Cup campaign. Molesey emerged from the gloom of minimal domestic racing to take the fight to holders and perennial challengers from Thames Rowing Club. Molesey got out early in the final, establishing half a length which they then simply sat out, repelling numerous Thames attacks. At that point, Thames had won four of the past six (and have since won two in two), so to unseat the Putney powerhouse took some doing. This was some of Franz Imfeld’s finest work on these shores.
#4 Mercantile R.C. v Molesey B.C, Britannia Challenge Cup (2019)
This was the classic tale of two halves. Molesey took a long time to find their stride against the fast-starting Australians from Mercantile Boat Club, whose journey from sunny Melbourne was not taken lightly. Mercantile stole nearly a length in the opening 30 strokes, finding a jettison of power that the Black Death couldn’t initially live with. The latter never panicked, though, and, by the Fawley marker, had reeled them back in, taking the lead as they swung past Remenham Club. That surge cost Molesey, who couldn’t extend their lead beyond half a length, but crossed the line to secure that most coveted of prizes – a red box.
#3 Marlow R.C. v Thames R.C. ‘A’, Wyfold Challenge Cup (2024)
There is nothing more dangerous than a 3/4 length lead at Henley Royal Regatta. If your opponents can see you, they can catch you, and 2024 brought us another spellbinding Wyfold Challenge Cup race with that old cliche at the very heart of the narrative. With the late-stage advantage of the Berkshire bank in full effect, Marlow mounted a stunning comeback to overhaul a Thames crew that had led them all the way down the course. With nothing left in the legs, Thames veered into the middle of the course, clashing in dramatic fashion with Marlow. The boys in red were not to be denied, though, sprinting home to win via an ‘Easily’ verdict.
#2 K.A.R.Z.V. De Hoop, NED v London R C, Wyfold Challenge Cup (2023)
One of the few races I am featuring in this entire series that isn’t a final, but this one deserves its spot in the annals of Henley history. In what could be described as the final two days early, the fastest boats in the entirety of The Wyfold Challenge Cup 2023 roster could barely be separated in 2112 of race course. De Hoop took a narrow lead out of the blocks and clung on up until the start of the Enclosures, where London – buoyed by the notorious Remenham roar – drew level. At that point, the two shells were locked in parity, broken only in the closing moments by a collision some ten strokes before the line. In the end, it was London whose bows had snuck ahead at the last. The two boats drifted over the line, locked together, a fitting metaphor for an epic clash.
#1 Oslo v Thames ‘A’, Thames Challenge Cup (2017)
There’s just something about two eights duking it out along the Henley Royal Regatta course. In an unfortunate turn of events, 2017 was an example of a year when the Stewards got their seeding wrong for this competition, essentially pitching the two fastest boats against each other on Friday afternoon (Thames would go on to win the Trophy, facing their ‘B’ boat in the final). This race was a beautiful example of push and pull; Oslo straining to open the door against a massed Thames rank whose refusal to be turned over showed immense courage and fortitude. In the end, the Norweigans probably ran out of water, losing out by a canvas in one of the races of the Regatta.
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