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. We’ll start with the ‘Open’ categories, typically reserved for the fastest athletes in the world.
#5: Dortmund v Leander & Molesey, The Grand Challenge Cup (2015)
In its opening year, the Henley Royal Regatta broadcast had a scorcher of a Regatta to cover (across both temperature and racing quality). The mercury barely dropped below 30 degrees all week, and one of the final contests of the week pitted Germany – the dominant force in men’s eight rowing – and Great Britain – the up-and-coming insurgency with much to prove on home water. The way in which GB dismantled this German eight stacked full of Olympians and world champions, in front of a partisan crowd baying for blood, laid the foundation for an Olympic gold won in Rio de Janeiro a year later.
#4 Lola Anderson vs Lauren Henry, The Princess Royal Challenge Cup (2021)
This race is special for three reasons. First, it was staged during the slightly dystopian Regatta of 2021 and proved that fierce competition remained even in a year when so much had to change. Second, these two athletes would win European, world, and Olympic gold alongside each other in the following three years. Third, it featured a sprint finish that nearly caught the more established sculler of the two (Anderson) napping. Henry had enjoyed a brilliant Regatta, announcing herself firmly as a name to watch in the coming years, whilst Anderson had already collected U23 World Rowing Championship gold in 2019 and had a bronze medal from the third World Rowing Cup of the series that year. In the end, it was Anderson who took the win but after leading by a significant margin at halfway, Henry pushed her to within a third of a length at the finish line.
#3 Dinamo & Steaua, Romania v National Training Centre, Australia, The Grand Challenge Cup (2018)
The fast-rating Romanians vs the smooth antipodean operators from Australia. The contrast in styles all the way down the course was stark, but this was a tussle for the ages in another blisteringly hot year where records fell with unrelenting frequency. Having already knocked the British out on the Saturday, the Australians were led out of the blocks by a Romanian crew who barely dropped below 40 strokes per minute throughout the 2112m course. Slowly and steadily, though, Angus Widdicombe in the stroke seat wound his crew up for a big finish, and they overhauled the fast-starting Romanians to win in a new record time of 5:53.
#2 Oxford Brookes/Leander v Rowing Australia, The Stewards’ Challenge Cup (2022)
Whenever the Australians opt to come over and race at Henley Royal Regatta, there are generally fireworks. They last sent a full complement in 2022, the year after the Tokyo Olympic Games, and with rumours swirling that they’ll be sending a similarly stacked team in 2025, it seems like a good moment to revisit this corker of a contest between their Olympic champion outfit and a new-look British four. The Australians took early control of the race, leading by nearly a length throughout the majority of the course. With the roar of the Stewards’ Enclosure in their ears, the British mounted a late charge in the final 500m, taking full use of the Berkshire bank advantage and closing to within a foot at the finish line. An epic sprint and another iteration of the legendary coxless four rivalry between these two great nations.
#1 Mahe Drysdale vs Kjetil Borch, The Diamond Challenge Sculls (2018)
Whenever Mahe comes to Henley town, there is something to talk about. He’s had some incredible clashes, from losing out in Olympic year to midtable Belgium sculler Hannes Obreno to any of his six title wins. The last of those came in incredible style against the then-Olympic bronze medallist Kjetil Borch. At the Barrier marker – indicating around 600m gone – the Norwegian led by over a length and by the Fawley point – around halfway – had further extended this lead to several boat lengths of clear water. The commentary duo on duty were too busy waxing lyrical about Bjorch in the closing stages to notice the late charge that Drysdale was putting in; he closed the gap in a remarkable final 500m and sculled Bjorch to a standstill to claim a record-equalling sixth Diamond Challenge Sculls title.
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