This year’s Henley Royal Regatta will be held July 4-8, 2007 on the River Thames in England. The race encompasses 467 entries by crews from many corners of the world, including Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa and the United States, to name a few.

Qualifying races were held June 29, followed by the draw on June 30. Preliminary heats take place July 4-5, with heats and quarterfinals July 5-6. Semifinals are scheduled for July 7, with finals July 8.

There are 39 U.S. crews entered in this year’s event. The men’s intermediate and student eight events have the most U.S. entries. Other popular events for the U.S. are the men’s junior four and student four with coxswain.

The first victory for a U.S crew at the Henley Royal Regatta came in 1878. Columbia College Boat Club from New York City captured the Visitor’s Challenge Cup in the men’s four event.  The crew successfully defeated Oxford University and Hertford College in the final. U.S. crews have won 114 titles since then.

In 2006, national team members Brett Sickler, Megan Cooke, Anna Goodale, Lindsay Shoop, Anna Mickelson, Susan Francia, Caroline Lind, Caryn Davies and Mary Whipple won the women’s national eight event and received the Remenham Challenge Cup. The U.S. women’s crew defeated Hollandia Roeiclub in the final. Other U.S. winners in 2006 included Princeton University in the Ladies Challenge Cup and St. Ignatius College Prep in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup.

Anna Mickelson, 2006 USRowing Female Athlete of the Year described the Henley Royal Regatta as “an incredibly dynamic atmosphere, full of tradition and fun to participate in.” Mickelson was impressed with the support of the National Rowing Foundation and the families who provided a place for the women to stay. She said the hosts and Rowing Foundation became like a second family throughout the experience.

The Henley Royal Regatta, with the exception of the two World Wars, has been held annually since 1839. Originally, the event was a community fair, held by the mayor and people of Henley, England. The regatta took place on a single afternoon. As the popularity of competitive amateur rowing grew, the regatta became the event’s main purpose, with racing increasing in length.

Today, the Henley Royal Regatta spans five days with 19 total events. In six boat classes: eights, fours, quadruple sculls, pairs, double sculls, and single sculls. The Henley is run with two boats in each heat, unlike standard multi-lane races.

For most of its history, the Henley Royal Regatta allowed only male competitors. In 1975, male crews were permitted to have female coxswains. The decision to include events for women was made in 1993, with the introduction of the open women’s single sculls event.  In 1998, a women’s eight event was added, with an open event for women’s quadruple sculls introduced in 2001.
 
Presently, there are 55 stewards who are self-elected based on their knowledge, experience, and distinguished reputations in the rowing community. Since 1884, the regatta has been organized with its own rules. Although the Henley Royal Regatta is not subject to any governing body of rowing, it is recognized by the Amateur Rowing Association and the International Rowing Federation.

Since H.R.H Prince Albert became the Regatta’s Royal Patron in 1851, the regatta has been and can officially continue to be called the Henley “Royal” Regatta. This patronage has continued with each reigning Monarch throughout history. The regatta has been visited by various royal family members over the years, with the most recent being H.R.H Duke of Gloucester in 2004.

Below is a list of U.S. crews competing at the 2007 Henley Royal Regatta. A complete list of entries and regatta information is available at www.hrr.co.uk
 
Ladies’ Challenge Plate
Intermediate Men’s Eight
Bantam Boat Club
Brown University
Harvard University
Molesey Boat Club/New York Athletic Club
Syracuse University

Thames Challenge Cup
Club Men’s Eight
Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club
Green Lake Crew
Potomac Boat Club

Temple Challenge Cup
Student Men’s Eight
Brown University
Colgate University
Cornell University
Dartmouth Rowing Club
Georgetown University
Syracuse University
University of California at Berkeley

Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
Junior Men’s Eight
Belmont Hill School
St. Paul’s School
Thomas Jefferson High School
Winter Park High School

Remenham Challenge Cup
Open Women’s Eight
Brown University
Radcliffe Crew - Harvard University

Visitor’s Challenge Cup
Intermediate Men’s Four without Coxswain
Harvard University

Wyfold Challenge Cup
Club Men’s Four without Coxswain
New York Athletic Club

Fawley Challenge Cup
Junior Men’s Quadruple Sculls
Green Lake Crew/Malvern Prep School
Malvern Prep School/Miami Rowing Club
Sammamish Rowing Association

Britannia Challenge Cup
Club Men’s Four with Coxswain
Bantam Boat Club

Prince Albert Challenge Cup
Student Men’s Four with Coxswain
Colgate University ‘A’
Colgate University ‘B’
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Cincinnati

Silver Goblets and Nickall’s Challenge Cup
Open Men’s Pair without Coxswain
Tufts University
Brown University

Princess Royal Challenge Cup
Open Women’s Single Sculls
Cornell University
Radcliffe Crew - Harvard University
Union Boat Club

Double Sculls Challenge Cup
Open Men’s Double Sculls
Malta Boat Club

Diamond Challenge Sculls
Open Men’s Single Sculls
Cascadilla Boat Club
Potomac Boat Club