Henley Royal Regatta kicks off tomorrow, as the record number of entries gets down to the gladiatorial duel racing everyone signed up for. This is the largest Henley Royal ever, at 772 entries--a fact you'll likely hear mentioned more than once over the next six days--as the Regatta has fully filled its newish six day format, and more crucially the famous Boat Tents, to full capacity.
How to Watch
Henley will run its full-on Youtube coverage, which will include races live, and then daily highlights posted later each day--all at that same link.
Here's hoping the drone will be back in the air this year, after a 2023 regatta that soldiered on drone-free when the pilots had to cancel at the last minute.
For schedule and results:
While you are waiting, the HRR Youtube channel has you covered, with these USA highlights from the last handful of Henleys:
The Draw
If you missed The Draw live on Youtube, you can see the whole draw here and take a look at the full list of entries here--but if you want to just cut to the list of the US teams that made the trip this year and their first round opponents, we've included one below.
The Draw was not without its interesting moments this year, and you can see the full replay here, but here is the good bit, where an extra crew made the initial draw for the Junior Boys quads in the Fawley momentarily uncertain, and a bit frustrating for the Stewards.
The Draw also served up a few tasty early round showdowns, and there is also, as ever, an all-USA first round race, between BU and SMU, who just saw each other in the D Final at the 2024 NCAA Championships (where BU finished six seconds ahead)...and the Whitemarsh B quad gets their own A quad if they win on Tuesday--a piece they definitely could have done back home in Conshy.
What to Watch - Tuesday
For Tuesday, these are the races we are keeping an eye on, all of which can be found on Youtube here during the live stream and here as replays later in the day.
4:40am EDT - Belen Jesuit v Southport School, AUS in PE Cup (Jr M8+)
5:15am EDT - Saugatuck v Hinksey in PE Cup (Jr M8+)
6:00am EDT - Riverside BC v Lea RC in Britannia (Club M4+)
6:10am EDT - Orange Coast v DSR Laga 'B', NED in Temple (Student M8+)
6:40am EDT - Princeton 'A' [2V] v Durham 'B' in Temple (Student M8+)
6:45am EDT - La Salle v Edinburgh 'A' in Prince Albert (Student M4+)
7:20am EDT - Miami RC v Maidenhead RC in Fawley (Jr M4x)
9:05am EDT - Texas RC v Claires Court in Fawley (Jr M4x)
9:15am EDT - Princeton 'B' [3V] v Exeter Univ in Temple (Student M8+)
10:05am EDT - Harvard [1V Lwts] v St Edward's School in Temple (Student M8+)
10:30am EDT - La Salle v Birmingham in Temple (Student M8+)
11:10am EDT - Groton School v Emanuel School in Prince Phillip (Jr W8+)
And then there is a nice block of races around midday back in the states. If a long lunch is in the cards for you, you might want to tune in after the Tea Interval for these races, which include the top UK contenders for the Temple--Oxford Brookes 'A'--and the Princess Elizabeth--St Paul's School--in their first round fixtures.
12:45pm EDT - Belen Jesuit v Shiplake in Fawley (Jr M4x)
12:50pm EDT - St Pauls School v Emanuel School
1:05pm EDT - Oxford Brookes 'A' v Bedford School in Temple (Student M8+)
1:30pm EDT - Princeton NRA (Mercer) v Shrewsbury School in PE Cup (Jr M8+)
1:35pm EDT - Cornell [Lwts] v Univ of London in Temple (Student M8+)
And...Qualifying, or What's You Already May Have Missed
This year's record entries did mean a record number of crews got sent to Qualifying: 470 crews raced on Friday--which made Qualifying a sizable regatta in its own right--all for just 133 spots across the 23 of the the 26 events which wound up oversubscribed this year. According to the Press Office here, that worked out to just a 28% chance of making the main Draw for the "Required to Qualify" crews.
In that number were six of the seven collegiate women's teams here from the US in the Island and the Cornell Light Men, despite being IRA and Eastern Sprints Grand Finalists in the Temple. All made it through, apart from Trinity, the NCAA D3 bronze medal winners--who posted the best non-Qualifying time in the Island to just miss the cut, but it was a tense way to spend the Friday before Regatta Week proper.
Who's Got Who - A USA Entry Primer
Apart from the races already mentioned above, here are the first round opponents for each of the US crews that did make it through Qualifying, and which day they get started.
Note: Entries selected by the Stewards going into the draw are marked with a "*" below. The US entry is listed first, and the races in each event are listed in the order in which they appear on the Draw Sheet linked above.
EIGHTS
Grand Challenge Cup - Open M8+
Princeton/Craftsbury, USA (NT Development crew) v Rowing Canada (U23s) - Friday
*Univ of Washington vs winner of Rowing Canada v Princeton/Craftsbury, USA - Saturday, semi
Remenham Challenge Cup - Open W8+
Ivy Club, USA (Princeton Women) v Leander - Wednesday
*Princeton TC/Arion, USA (NT Development crew) v Leander & Bann - Friday
Ladies Challenge Plate - Interm. M8+br> *Princeton HWT vs Thames RC A - Friday
California RC (NT alums) vs *Oxford Brookes - Friday
Temple Challenge Cup - Student M8+
see above, under What to Watch - Tuesday
Island Challenge Cup - Student W8+
*Univ of Virginia v winner of Bristol v Univ Coll, Dublin A - Thursday
Univ of Rhode Island v Newcastle A - Wednesday
Drexel Univ v *Groninger Studenten Roeivereniging, NED - Wednesday
Univ of Iowa v Edinburgh B - Wednesday
Southern Methodist Univ v Boston Univ - Wednesday
Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup - Junior M8+
see above, under What to Watch - Tuesday
Prince Philip Challenge Trophy - Junior W8+
in addition to Tuesday race listed above
*Newport Aquatic Center v winner of Marlow v Sir William Perkins' Sch - Thursday
*Marin RA v winner of Kingston Grammer v Latymer Upper Sch - Thursday
*Row America Rye v Lady Eleanor Holles School - Thursday
Winter Park Crew vs *St Catherines, AUS - Thursday
Thames Challenge Cup - Club M8+
*Riverside BC v Marlow A - Wednesday
Wargrave Challenge Cup - Club W8+
*Riverside BC v winner of Tideway Scullers v London RC A - Thursday
FOURS/QUADS
Town Challenge Cup - Open W4-
*Univ of Washington v winner of Leander A v Leander B - Thursday
Queen Mother Challenge Cup - Open M4x
Penn AC & CRC (USA M4x) v winner of Team Espana, ESP v Leander Club - Saturday
Princess Grace Challenge Cup - Open W4x
*ARION & Craftsbury (NT Development crew) v Reading - Thursday
Univ of Iowa v *Twickenham & Trentham - Thursday
Visitors' Challenge Cup - Interm. M4-
*UC Berkeley A v Thames - Wednesday
*UC Berkeley B v Skadi & Laga, NED - Wednesday
Brown Univ v Berliner, GER & Espana, MEX - Wednesday
Riverside BC v Cambridge Univ & Roskilde, DEN - Wednesday
Prince of Wales Challenge Cup - Interm M4x
*Penn AC v Lea & London RC - Wednesday
Ever Green BC v *Skoll, NED - Wednesday
Prince Albert Challenge Cup - Student M4+
in addition to Tuesday race listed above
*Cornell Univ vs winner of *Cambridge v Edinburgh B - Thursday
*Harvard Univ vs winner of *Oxford Brookes B v Univ of London B - Thursday
Fawley Challenge Cup - Junior M4x
in addition to Tuesday race listed above
*Los Gatos v winner of Great Marlow v American Sch, London - Thursday
*Whitemarsh BC A v winner of Sir Wm Borlase Sch v Whitemarsh BC B - Thursday
Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup - Junior W4x
Los Gatos RC v winner of Lea v Surbiton - Thursday
Britannia Challenge Cup - Club M4+
in addition to Tuesday race listed above
Los Gatos RC v *Thames RC - Tuesday
PAIRS/DOUBLES/SINGLES
Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup - Open M2-
Smith & Blight (UW) v Verkaik & Joordens - Thursday
Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup - Open W2-
Greenstock & Drewett (Stanford) v *Perry & Standing - Friday
Kelly & Fronhofer (UVA) v *Crocker & Campbell - Thursday
Double Sculls Challenge Cup - M2x
Cunningham & Fuller (Penn AC) v Immeker & Van Der Sluis
Stonor Challenge Trophy - W2x
Pushner & Boehle (Princeton) v *Reichardt & Reichardt - Thursday
*Fellows & Nabel (Cambridge BC) v Birch & Burton - Friday
*Feitner & Flynn (ARION) v winner of *Reichardt & Reichardt v Pushner & Boehle - Friday
Diamond Challenge Sculls - M1x
*J. Plihal (USA) v winner of D. Junge v L. Krieter - Thursday
A. Twist (Riverside BC) v winner of M. Goretti v Y. Lyu - Thursday
D. Alizadeh (BER) v winner of S. Cox (ZIM) v J Bakker - Thursday
Princess Royal Challenge Cup - W1x
M. Kaleta (San Diego RC) v A. Robson - Wednesday
*C. Madden (Cambridge BC) v winner of S. McKay v P. Otto - Friday
*S. Luwis (Whitemarsh BC) v winner of A. Robson v M. Kaleta - Friday
And You Know What all this Means...
— SleepstoHenley (@SleepstoHRR) July 1, 2024There is 1 sleep to Henley Royal Regatta 2024. #HRR24
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