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 article highlighting what we believe are some of the best races to have been broadcast on the big screen. Finally, we will cover the ‘Junior’ races; winning a junior title at Henley Royal Regatta, in most circumstances, is the pinnacle of a young person’s rowing career.
#5 Melbourne Girls Grammar School vs Surbiton High School, Prince Philip Challenge Trophy (2022)
I would argue that this edition of the Trophy – in only its second iteration – paved the way for the epic global tussles we now see every year. Surbiton rowing down the Australian national champions certainly was a spectacle to watch from the onlooking drone as their contrasting styles – Melbourne aggressively punching at either end whilst Surbiton looked for efficiency in their stroke throughout – correlated closely with the race narrative. Having already been broken twice earlier that afternoon, the course record again fell in this heat as Surbiton swept past Melbourne shortly after the halfway mark to progress through to Saturday’s racing.
#4 St Paul’s School vs Eton College, Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup (2018)
A classic but not for its intense rivalry, sparring down the course or blink-and-you-will-miss it finishing sequence. This was the ultimate exhibition of schoolboy rowing from the finest junior boat to ever take to the water at Henley Royal Regatta. This St Paul’s School crew did what so few can do – become more than the sum of their (considerable) parts. They didn’t just win The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup – they obliterated the field and broke every course record in their final run out against Eton College. Several of this crew have gone on to achieve remarkable things in the sport and that legacy should be no surprise.
#3 Redwood Scullers vs Claires Court School, Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup (2022)
Who doesn’t love a David vs Goliath story? Redwood arrived at Henley Royal Regatta as the form crew; they were recently minted US national champions, and whenever a boat crosses the Atlantic with silverware at its back, it is important to take it seriously. Meanwhile, Claires Court had navigated through a fairly innocuous season – the fact they were even in the final was a surprise, with one of their crew still a J15. Youth mattered not on that fateful Sunday, though; Redwood did the early running but could not break clear of a dogged and resilient Claires Court, who had already pulled this trick on Shiplake the evening before. These girls – coached by Tom Jost and Jack Jesseman – ate up the American advantage in the middle of the course and crossed nearly a length clear to win their first-ever female title at Henley Royal Regatta.
#2 Leander vs Tideway Scullers School, Fawley Challenge Cup (2024)
The Fawley Challenge Cup so often serves up a host of phenomenal races. The fact that it is reserved for just 24 boats yet often receives over 60 entries probably has something to do with the level of competition that this Trophy generates yearly. In 2024, we had two one-foot margins in the space of one day, and the second of those to round off the Thursday’s roster was a classic. The Tideway Scullers School led from the first stroke and seemed to have the race under relative control, despite the close proximity of their opposition. Then, disaster – a boat-stopping crab with 200m left to row, which gave Leander the chink of daylight they needed to steal through and take the race by a solitary foot.
#1 Windsor Boys’ School vs Leander Club, Fawley Challenge Cup (2021)
To be honest, these two have a litany of epic match-ups to select from. I was very close to opting for the 2023 vintage, but the proximity of the two boats throughout 2021’s edition – barely separated throughout the 2112m course – meant I plumped for this one. In a slightly unusual year for the Regatta, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Leander and Windsor Boys taking it to each other full throttle. Leander led for most of the contest, but Windsor Boys stole a crucial march on the Berkshire bank with about 500m left to row. Whatever gas the two had expended on this semifinal, it was clearly in evidence on the Sunday, where Windsor were unable to overturn the Tideway Scullers School in the final.
