History / About Us

A BRIEF HISTORY

The Henley Reach has been known for rowing races since 1829 when the first University Boat Race was held between Oxford and Cambridge universities. The success of this, together with the extension of the Great Western Railway to Reading, led to the setting up of a regatta in 1839. It was an immediate success and, in 1851, it became known as Henley Royal Regatta after His Royal Highness Prince Albert became the first Royal Patron.  More recently we've seen the development of Henley Women's Regatta (1988) and Henley Masters Regatta (1994), offering the Henley experience to a wider range of competitors.

Henley Town and Visitors’ Regatta developed from the Henley Rowing Club Boat Races, which started in the late 1850s. Its name changed to Henley Town Regatta in 1887 and the word Visitor was later added to show that the Regatta was open to competitors from clubs not based in Henley.The Regatta offered its first trophy in 1889 for non-amateur handicap sculls. A second trophy, offered for coxed fours in 1891, belonged to Henley Royal Regatta and dates from the original 1839 regatta. This trophy, called the Town Challenge Cup (see picture), is still awarded today for the Regatta’s highest-ranking fours event.  This is a different trophy to the new Town Challenge Cup commissioned in 2018 by Henley Royal Regatta for its Women's Fours event.

The Regatta experienced financial difficulties when it tried to re-establish itself after the Great War and didn't start again until 1922. However, its popularity was then quickly restored and by 1928 it had become so successful that the Regatta was divided into skiffing and rowing sections, each having its own regatta on different days. Initially the Skiff Regatta was the more popular of the two, but interest had fallen away by the mid-1930s and the skiffing event was discontinued in 1938.

After the Second World War the Regatta started again and, following the success of multi-lane racing on the Henley Reach at the 1948 Olympic Games, expanded to offer three-abreast racing in all events.

When the August Bank Holiday was moved from the beginning to the end of August in 1965, the Regatta lost its traditional Bank Holiday Monday slot. It is now established on the fourth Saturday after the Royal Regatta.

The Regatta owns a large collection of wonderful trophies, just some of which can be seen here. All of the crew members of the winning boat in each event are awarded a medal to take home with them.  Although the trophies are always on display each year and presented to the winner of each event, like most other regattas we do not allow them to be taken away by the winning crews.

Since 1928 the Regatta has elected its President for a one-year term only: this is usually someone with strong connections to the town of Henley and/or the sport of rowing. The President is elected at the Annual General Meeting in March.

PAST PRESIDENTS

1909-10   W. T. L. Foy

1912-13   Sir Frank Crisp

1921-26   R.H. Mardon

1927-29   F. S. Lowe

1930     Henry Sanger

1931     W. W. Rutherford

1932     G. A. Shuck

1933     Sir Gifford Fox

1934     Lord Rathcreedan

1935     Lord Hambleden

1936     J. Edwards Moss

1937     C. T. Steward

1938     H. H. W. Fisher

1939     Charles Luker

1946     Charles Horsfall

1947     Bill Brakspear

1949     Don Burnell

1950     Jack Beresford

1951     Sir Harcourt Gold

1952     Tom Durand

1953     Charles Luker

1954     Gully Nickalls

1955     Harold Rickett

1956     Tom Luker

1957     Jock Clapperton

1958     Len Field

1959     Tony ‘Taj’ Leadley

1960     John Palmer

1961     Tom Langton

1962     Lord Rathcreedan

1963     Don Burnell

1964     Rev. Bill Llewellyn Jones

1965     Ronnie Howard

1966     Richard Burnell

1967-68   Stanley Walden

1969     Harry Tomalin

1970     John Garton

1971     Harry Porter

1972     Eric Rea

1973     Kenneth Neville Irvine 

1974     Graham Rickett

1975     Teddy Selwyn

1976     David Cazes

1977     Eric Rea

1978     Ran Laurie

1979     Arthur ‘Tanky’ Holloway

1980     James Crowden


1981     Norman Turtle

1982     Alan Burrough

1983 Tony Hobbs 

1984     Albert ‘Ticker’ Waring

1985     Peter Coni

1986     Tom Sutton

1987     John Allen

1988     Ronnie Eagling

1989     Roy Spatcher

1990     Richard Goddard

1991     Anne Bushnell

1992     Brian Fitzpatrick

1993     John Luker

1994     Rev. Alan Pyburn

1995     Ken Hylton-Smith

1996     David Walden

1997     Rupert Sugden

1998     Angus Robertson

1999     Alan Follett

2000     Mike Sweeney

2001     John Nagle

2002     Pauline Churcher

2003     Jim Messum

2004     Peter Sutherland

2005     Mike Williams

2006     Barry Edwards

2007-08 Chas Newens+

2009     Peter Sly

2010     Cliff Blakeway

2011     Elizabeth Hodgkin

2012     Martin Humphrys

2013     Iain Reid

2014     John Friend

2015     Mark Davies

2016     Fred Smallbone

2017     Noel Snell

2018     Guin Batten

2019     Rod Murray

2020-22  Glen Lambert

2023     Peter Knowles



+The 2007 regatta did not take place due to flood

*The 2020 regatta did not take place due to pandemic





THE COMMITTEE OF THE 2024 REGATTA


President K. Arlett

Deputy President: Mrs. B. Wilson

Vice Presidents:

The Mayor of Henley (Cllr. K. Hinton), *Miss G. Batten, *C. J. Blakeway, *Mrs A. Bushnell, *Mrs M. P. Churcher, *M. K. C. Davies, *B. M. Edwards, *A. J. Follett, *J. A. Friend, *R. S. Goddard, *W. A. B. Hobbs, M.B.E., *Mrs. E. Hodgkin, *R. L. Howard, *M. R. C. Humphrys,  *P. K. Knowles, J.P., *Cllr. G. Lambert, *J. C. Luker, *J. L. Messum, *R. C. D. Murray, *J. D. Nagle, *C .G. Newens, *Dr. I. Reid, *A. G. Robertson, *F. J. Smallbone, *Dr. N. J. C. Snell, Mrs V. Spatcher, *M. A. Sweeney, C.B.E., *M. D. Williams, O.B.E.

*Past Presidents

Hon. Auditor: M. Nixon

Trustees: C. Boothroyd, M. K. C. Davies, M. D. Williams, O.B.E.

Regatta Archivist: Mrs H. Fisher

Chairman: M. K. C. Davies

Hon. Secretary : N. Hewlett

Hon. Treasurer: Miss L. M. A. Dance

Entries: A.  Wood

Officials: Q. A. Knowlson

Water Safety Adviser: M. J. Duff

Medical Adviser: Dr. J. B. Mitchell

Site Manager: R. Pullen

River Manager: P. Turnell

Welfare Officer: Mrs J. D. Hope-Brown

Crew Marshals: Mrs H. M. Knowles

Trophies: K. P. Fisher, G. Lambert 

Sponsorship: Ms S. Perry-Whitehead

Subscribers: vacant

Trade Stands: vacant

Social Events: vacant

Marketing: S. Alvey

R. C. D. Murray

M. D. Williams, O.B.E.

Captain of Henley Rowing Club