Where the river is still king

Multi-lane lakes may level the playing field for top rowers but in Britain, when regatta season rolls around, rivers reign supreme

- LUCY HIGGINSON

IT’S A BATTLE for crews to get to the start, it’s a battle to warm up, but most rowers I talk to around the world want to race there at least once. People love it for the atmosphere as well as the tradition. It’s the nearest thing that rowers ever get to competing in a stadium.” Rowing legend and Henley Royal Regatta (HRR) chairman Sir Steve Redgrave is discussing the conundrum that is Henley. It may be the most famous rowing contest in the world, but as a two-lane race on moving water it’s also a complete contradiction for any elite oarsman, whose important events are all otherwise run on multi-lane rowing lakes.

What sets Henley apart is the atmosphere, unmatched even at an Olympic Games, points out Sir Steve. “Matthew [Pinsent, Redgrave’s pairs partner of many years] and I used to boat in deathly silence at the Barcelona Olympics,” he remembers. “It was just us and our coach. There was no real noise of any sort until the last 500m. At Henley it’s a wall of noise right from the start – spectators can almost reach out and touch the oars at places on the Berkshire station – and many rowers have never experienced that before.”

The qualities that give Henley its star appeal are what make our river regattas so beloved all around Britain: the proximity of crews to a leafy riverbank packed with vocal, local people; rowers dodging swans, reeds and steamboats; and a happy bankside blend of picnickers, boat trailers, food tents, coffee stands and club colours.