Three clubs shine in spectacular finals at Henley Royal Regatta 2024

Oxford Brookes University, Leander and Thames continued to dominate – with crews representing at least one of these top clubs appearing in 16 finals and winning 13

Brookes’ six wins included both Open and both Student Eights events; The Remenham Challenge Cup, The Grand Challenge Cup (as a composite with their alumni club Taurus BC), The Island Challenge Cup (their third victory in the four years this event has existed), and The Temple Challenge Cup. Four of the Grand-winning crew went on to win the straight final of The Stewards’ Challenge Cup later in the day. Brookes’ sixth win, in the last race of the regatta, was no surprise as their A crew defeated their B crew in The Prince Albert Challenge Cup.

Leander Club took both of the senior men’s quads – the Queen Mother and Prince of Wales – in their four titles. In The Double Sculls Challenge Cup, the Pink Palace’s duo of Jamie Gare and Cedol Dafydd, who are part of the GB Rowing Team’s ‘Project LA’ group working towards the 2028 Olympic Games, produced a powerful row. This proved perfect for the growing headwind that preceded the squalls and downpours that challenged spectators and competitors alike for much of the rest of finals day. Leander also won The Visitors’ Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile Thames took three of the four Club trophies – The Thames Cup, The Britannia Challenge Cup, and The Wargrave Challenge Cup (for the third year running). Thames very nearly made a clean sweep, eventually losing a thrilling course-long tussle with Marlow in The Wyfold Challenge Cup, the only British winners of a senior event that didn’t involve Brookes, Leander or Thames. Marlow’s win must have been particularly precious for the club as it was their first in 11 years. Notably Marlow also had junior quad finalists in both The Diamond Jubilee and Fawley Challenge Cup Finals.

Headington School won The Prince Philip Challenge Cup for junior women’s eights, as they last had in its inaugural year in 2021. They remain the only British school to have their names on the trophy. St Paul’s took The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, finishing three quarters of a length ahead of Shiplake. The Windsor Boys’ School’s superlative row enabled them to take The Fawley Challenge Cup for the fourth time in seven regattas. And in the girls’ quads, Wycliffe College rounded off their complete dominance this season with a three-length win in The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup, their school’s first Henley Royal Regatta title.

German’s Oliver Zeidler secured his fourth – and third consecutive – Henley victory in The Diamond Challenge Sculls ahead of his next racing appearance at the Paris Games.

The record overseas entry resulted in seven further trophies going abroad. In the women’s events, Rowing Canada took The Town Fours, and fellow Canadians Shawnigan Lake School claimed victory in The Princess Grace Challenge Cup, which was later presented to them by Princess Grace’s son, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. Club France triumphed in The Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup; Germany’s World Cup III combo of Sarah Wibberenz and Lisa Gutfleisch took The Stonor Challenge Trophy; and China’s R. Liu won The Princess Royal Challenge Cup. In the men’s events, Princeton claimed victory in The Ladies’ Challenge Plate by two and two thirds of a length ahead of Cambridge University, while Nicolas Van Sprang and Guillaume Krommenhoek of Hollandia Roeiclub won The Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup.

Particularly notable amongst those who did not finish the day with one of the famous red medal boxes in their hands were Royal Chester RC’s Britannia coxed four, who reached the club’s first final in 75 years.