Do You Have To Qualify For Henley Royal Regatta?

The 2024 Henley Royal Regatta will be held over six days from July 1 to 6, with provisional daily racing times. The regatta is the world’s most famous river regatta and the pinnacle of the UK racing season. This year, 419 crews from 17 nations have qualified, from every level of elite rowing. There will be 393 head-to-head races across the event. Only three events (the Grand, the Stewards, and The Queen Mother) do not require qualifying races.

To enter the regatta, boats must be licensed by the Environment Agency through British Rowing, who will issue a boat identification code. Qualifying regattas include the Henley Women’s and Henley Royal Regattas, where any crew of eligible members of one club or secondary school boat club must qualify. The Four from Brooks School racing in the Prince Albert event for college fours must also qualify.

No one shall be eligible to compete for a club unless they are and have been a member of that club for at least two months preceding the closing date for entries. The regatta is a vintage regatta with no official competitions, but it is still a popular event for many.

In summary, the Henley Royal Regatta is a prestigious event that attracts a large number of competitors from around the world. To participate, potential competitors must meet certain eligibility rules and be a part of a club or athlete that has been a member for at least two months prior to the closing date for entries.

Can anyone enter Henley Regatta?

The Regatta Enclosure, situated on the Berkshire bank, just downstream from the Stewards’ Enclosure, is open to competitors, supporters and the general public. With seating alongside the river and in an open grandstand, The Regatta Enclosure also has a covered restaurant, an outside dining area and a bar.

The Henley Royal Regatta is the be-all, end-all, five-day regatta that attracts teams from around the world to compete in hundreds of races. This summer, it is set to run from 2–7 July 2024, so dust off your boater, don a striped blazer and get ready for a week on the waterfront. And if you’re worried about missing any of the highlights, here’s our checklist for how to get the best out of Henley 2024.

Henley Royal Regatta 2024: History, Dress Code, Food. The History. The first Henley Regatta took place in 1839, and it has been held annually ever since – bar exceptions for the years of two World Wars and the pandemic. It was initially staged as a fair, but the emphasis quickly changed to focus on rowing. In 1851, HRH Prince Albert became the Regatta’s first Royal Patron, and after his death the reigning monarch has always consented to become Patron – hence the event now being called Henley Royal Regatta.

Events. At the top level, there are six open events for men and six open events for women. At the intermediate level, there are three events for men, catering to the best of the club and student crews. The next level offers five men’s events for the majority of club and student oarsmen. Finally, there are two events for junior men and one for junior women.

Can you wear jeans to Henley Regatta?

• Ladiesshould dress in a manner as befits a formal occasion. Dresses and skirts should be of modest length, defined as falling just above or lower than the knee. Trousers must be full length. Whilst not mandatory, it is customary for ladies to wear hats. Shorts, jeans and trainers are strictly not permitted.
• Gentlemen are required to wear lounge suits or jackets, or blazers with flannels and a collared shirt. Whilst not mandatory, gentlemen are encouraged to wear a tie or cravat. Shorts, jeans and trainers are strictly not permitted.

How do I join Regatta?

You can join the regatta at any time, but you must be a member of the co-op to do so. However, you will be considered a participant in the regatta only after completing at least one task.

How much is Henley Royal Regatta?

Depending on the day you attend, daily admission prices range between £34 – £56 per person.

Children of all ages are welcome, and admission is free for under 14s when accompanied by an adult with a valid Badge.

Why not join us on Regatta Sunday for the Prizegiving Ceremony which takes place at 17:00, and when holders of Competitor Badges and Sunday Regatta Enclosure Badges are welcome to watch the presentation from within the Stewards’ Enclosure, when the dress code will be relaxed.

Please contact the Badge Office to enquire about offers available for group and school bookings.

How do I join regatta?

You can join the regatta at any time, but you must be a member of the co-op to do so. However, you will be considered a participant in the regatta only after completing at least one task.

What is the most prestigious rowing regatta in the world?

A Truly Unique Event. Henley Royal Regatta is the most prestigious regatta in the world. It is the highlight of the summer rowing calendar and the social season in the UK.

Visited by more than 300,000 people each year, Henley Royal Regatta boasts over 300 races across six days of elite sporting competition.

Gallery. Royalty Free Photos. Browse official photos from previous years.

How far is the Henley Royal Qualifiers?

All races are held over the full Henley Course on the River Thames. The length of the Course is one mile 550 yards (2,112 metres) – upstream. All races are rowed two abreast and the winner proceeds to the next round.

If more entries are received for any event than the number permitted in the Rules, the Committee shall arrange Qualifying Races.

The Draw takes place the day following the qualifiers. In the Draw, in each heat, the first crew drawn has the No. 1 station – the Berks. station.

How does Henley Regatta work?

Each event in the regatta takes the form of a knockout competition, with each race consisting of two crews racing side by side up the Henley course. The course is marked out by two lines of booms (wooden bars which float on the water, secured between vertical poles), which are placed along the river to form a straight course 2,112metres long. The course is wide enough to allow two crews to race down with a few metres between them. As such it is not uncommon for inexperienced steersmen or coxswains to crash into the booms, possibly costing their crew the race.

The race begins at the downstream end of Temple Island, where the crews attach to a pair of pontoons. The race umpire will then call out the names of the two crews and start them when they are both straight and ready. Each crew is assigned to row on either the ‘Bucks’ (Buckinghamshire) or ‘Berks’ (Berkshire) side of the race course. The coxswains or steersmen are expected to keep their crew on the allocated side of the course at all times during the race, else they risk disqualification. The only exception is when a crew leads by a sizeable margin and is not deemed by the umpire to be impeding the trailing crew.

There are several progress markers along the course. Intermediate times are recorded at two of them – “the Barrier” and “Fawley”, in addition to the time to the finish. The regatta has official commentary, which is announced at these points along the course. The commentary is renowned for being unemotional and factual, with the commentator only allowed to announce the rate of striking, which crew is leading, the distance between the crews, and the progress marker which the crews are passing.

How much are Henley Regatta tickets?

Depending on the day you attend, daily admission prices range between £34 – £56 per person.

Children of all ages are welcome, and admission is free for under 14s when accompanied by an adult with a valid Badge.

Why not join us on Regatta Sunday for the Prizegiving Ceremony which takes place at 17:00, and when holders of Competitor Badges and Sunday Regatta Enclosure Badges are welcome to watch the presentation from within the Stewards’ Enclosure, when the dress code will be relaxed.

Please contact the Badge Office to enquire about offers available for group and school bookings.

Who participates in Henley Regatta?

Open to the world’s elite rowers, including Olympians, World, national champions and the best in category, these events represent the zenith of competitive rowing.

Wednesday, 1 May – Entries Open – Enter a Crew HERE.

Friday, 21 June – No HRR crews to train on the Regatta Course(Henley Women’s Regatta)

Saturday, 22 June – No HRR crews to train on the Regatta Course(Henley Women’s Regatta)

How many crews qualify for Henley?

The 2024 edition of Henley Royal Regatta has received a record 772 entries, eclipsing the 2022 record of 739. The entry list features 554 domestic and 218 overseas entries, the latter breaking the 200 barrier for the first time. 496 of the entries are in the 16 men’s events and 276 in the 10 women’s events.