There’s something about Henley in November that lays the sport bare. Gone are the rows of bunting, blazers, and boat tents of the regattas; in their place are misty fields, cold fingers, and quiet focus. Henley Long Distance Sculls (Henley LDS) has been celebrating this shift since 1971. At just over 3,000 metres, the course winds past Temple Island and onto the iconic Henley Royal Regatta stretch – minus a few booms. Henley LDS gives scullers of every stripe the chance to test themselves on the same waters that crown champions each summer. This year’s women’s field is brimming with talent across singles, doubles, and quads categories. Here’s who to watch as the river comes alive once again.
Women’s Masters B/C/D Doubles
Few crews carry as much quiet strength as Tijssen and Holland of Upper Thames RC. Based on this stretch, the double is no stranger to racing on these waters. They were semifinalists in the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta and qualified for The Stonor Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta earlier this year. Fresh from a victory at the Upper Thames Autumn Head last weekend, they return to defend their Henley LDS title in the women’s masters doubles. If past form is anything to go by, they’re the crew to beat. Their fluid sculling and synchronicity make them formidable over long distances. For them, this may be less about survival and more about refinement – fine-tuning a partnership that already knows how to win. Adding a fascinating twist, Tijssen and Holland will also line up against each other in the women’s masters A singles, turning from teammates into rivals in one of the weekend’s most intriguing intra-club showdowns.
Women’s Masters D Singles
If there’s one category primed for drama, it’s the Women’s Masters D singles. The top four from 2024 are back: Armstrong (Bedford RC) dominated last year’s race with a commanding lead, while Booker (Wallingford RC), Huntington (Bradford-on-Avon RC), and Eyres (Lea RC) all finished within a heartbeat of one another. A titan of the masters rowing scene, Armstrong boasts seven gold medals across the 2025 Henley Masters, British Masters, and World Masters Championships. That blistering series of wins, coupled with her form last year, makes her the clear favourite. But for Eyres, who narrowly missed the podium in 2024, redemption may be just a few strokes away, especially after her victory in the women’s masters singles at Peterborough Regatta earlier this summer.
Women’s Masters C Singles
The Masters C singles line-up reads like a replay of last year’s podium: Kwiecinska (Lea RC), Sparrowhawk (Bradford-on-Avon RC), and Brazauskiene (Somerset Community RC) return in the same line-up that saw them finish first, second, and third in 2024. It’s a testament to the depth of the women’s masters sculling scene that so many are back to test themselves again. Expect tight margins – and perhaps a shake-up if Somerset’s Brazauskiene can close the gap she’s been chasing for the last year.
Women’s Singles
Among the seven entrants in the women’s singles event, Grainger (Vesta RC) stands out. Having recently raced at the Head of the Charles in both a single and in a double with her mother, she may find the waters of Henley a little calmer. Grainger won this event at Twickenham Regatta 2025 with a commanding margin, and as her mother is a two-time silver medal Olympic sculler, it is safe to say sculling runs in the family.
Prediction
The women’s events this year are defined by reunion and rivalry – doubles partners turned singles competitors, returning champions defending narrow margins, and familiar faces taking on a river that remembers them well. Expect Tijssen and Holland to lead the charge both together and apart, with Armstrong favoured to dominate the D Singles once again. Kwiecienska may just hold off another challenge from Sparrowhawk, and Grainger could well use Henley LDS to make her mark and start her season strong. Having only run twice in the last six years, due to flooding, storms, and rising water levels, the event’s return in 2025 feels all the more precious – a reminder that Henley in winter still holds its magic.
