Henley Women’s Regatta
Henley Women’s Regatta is a knockout regatta for women’s crews held each June on the Thames at Henley. It was first held in 1988 and takes place about two weeks before Henley Royal Regatta.
The course
Crews race over 1,500 metres on the Henley reach, two at a time. That is shorter than the Royal Regatta’s course of 2,112 metres but uses the same stretch of river.
Format
The format is match racing. Each event has a draw, the winner of each race goes through and the loser is out. Where an event has more entries than places, crews first race a time trial to qualify.
Events are grouped by standard as well as boat type.
| Level | Who enters |
|---|---|
| Championship | National squads and the fastest club and university crews |
| Aspirational | Strong club and academic crews below championship standard |
| Development | Newer and less experienced crews |
| Junior | School and junior club crews |
Category names and entry rules change from time to time, so check the regatta’s own notice before entering.
Where it sits in the season
For women’s club and student crews this is the main target of the summer. Overseas universities, especially from the United States, enter in numbers.
Reading Amateur Regatta, a few miles upstream, is held the weekend before and is widely used as the last race before Henley Women’s.
Watching
The towpath is open and free. Racing runs over three days, with finals on the Sunday.