Henley Royal Regatta 1997

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In any sport there are particularly significant events and venues which have great importance. For tennis junkies the venue is Wimbledon and the event the Lawn Tennis Association Championships. For National Hunt racing fans it is Aintree and the Grand National, whilst for Flat racing enthusiasts it is Epsom and The Derby. However, for rowing there are two events, the University Boat Race and the Royal Regatta, yet in the beginning just one important venue, Henley-on-Thames.
The inaugural University Boat race took place in 1829 at Henley-on-Thames. It was the brainchild of a Cambridge student, Charles Merivale who, at the time, was a student at St Johns College. His great friend Charles Wordsworth was a student at Christ Church College, Oxford and it was to be the dark blues of Oxford who easily defeated their light blue rivals. Today the race takes place between Putney and Mortlake and, to date, Cambridge have recorded more wins than Oxford.
The first Henley Regatta was held in 1839 when amateur rowers contested races on one afternoon. The day was so successful that in 1840 the event was extended to two days, and by 1851 it was so popular that Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, attended so enabling the annual event to be called Henley Royal Regatta for the first time. The event has grown in popularity ever since, and this site records the results of the main races since its inception.
STEWARDS CHALLENGE CUP GRAND CHALLENGE CUP QUEEN MOTHER CHALLENGE CUP
Leander/Oxford Univ Australian/NSW Sports Inst. Augusta Sculling Center, USA

Nottinghamshire County RA

6 mins 47 secs

2 1/2 Lengths

Berlin/Tegel RC, Germany

6 mins 3 secs

3 lengths

Queens Tower/Poplar/Blackwell

6 mins 23 secs Easily
DOUBLE SCULLS CHALLENGE CUP DIAMOND CHALLENGE SCULLS SILVER GOBLET & NICKALLS´
M D Free/D Free, Tweed Heads RC, Aus G M P Searle, Molesey BC R Thatcher/F B Hunt-Davis, Leander Club

B A Klein/R J Weaver, Undine Barge Club, USA

6 mins 58 secs Easily

P M Haining, Auriol Kensington RC

7 mins 38 secs Easily

C P Fischer/S Franke, Hansa Hamburg Rg

7 min 30 secs Easily
LADIES´ CHALLENGE PLATE VISITORS CHALLENGE CUP PRINCE PHILIP CHALLENGE CUP
Nottinghamshire County/Oxford Brookes Univ Oxford Brookes Univ Eton Vikings/Leander Club

Washington Univ, USA

6 mins 11 secs 1 foot

Imperial College/Charing X Westminster

6 mins 51 secs 3 1/4 lengths

Nottinghamshire County/Newcastle Uinv

6 mins 49 secs 1 1/4 lengths
THAMES CHALLENGE CUP WYFOLD CHALLENGE CUP BRITANNIA CHALLENGE CUP
Nottingham Boat Club A Molesey Boat Club A London University

Neptune Rowing Club A

6 mins 16 secs 2 feet

London Rowing Club

6 mins 58 secs 2 1/4 lengths

Hansa Hamburg Rg, Germany

7 mins 3 secs 1 1/2 lengths
This year the main prize travelled down under when the Australian and New South Wales Institute of Sport defeated Berlin and Tegel RC by a comfortable 3 lengths.
PRINCESS ELIZABETH CHALLENGE CUP

The District Goblets for Pairs took place between 1858 and 1867.
St Pauls School

The Presentation Cup for Coxless Fours took place between 1869 and 1872.
Canford School

The Town Challenge Cup ran from 1839 to 1883.
6 mins 32 secs 2 1/2 lengths  
 
TEMPLE CHALLENGE CUP FAWLEY CHALLENGE CUP PRINCE ALBERT CHALLENGE CUP
Goldie Boat Club Windsor Boys/Claires Court This event was first staged in 2004.

Imperial/Kings College, London

6 mins 17 secs 3/4 length

Mortlake Anglian/Alpha BC/Queen Eliz.

6 mins 48 secs 1/2 length

 The race is for Mens coxed fours.
REMENHAM CHALLENGE CUP PRINCESS ROYAL CHALLENGE CUP PRINCESS GRACE CHALLENGE CUP
This event was first staged in 2003. M H Brandin, Kungalvs Rk, Sweden This race was first instituted in 2003.
The race is for Womens eights.

G Batten, Thames RC

8 mins 24 secs Not rowed out

 The event is named after Princess Grace of Monaco.
If you have photos, racecards, badges, or newspaper cuttings about Henley Royal Regatta this year which could enhance this page then email johnslusar@fsmail.net