The final day of Henley Women’s Regatta 2026 saw blisteringly hot conditions and blistering racing, with new champions crowned across the 24 events on offer.
Several course records fell, helped by a light tailwind down the track, with the wind direction switching from the two previous days of racing.
In the semi-finals of the Borne Cup for championship quads, the old record was beaten twice. The composite from Nottingham Rowing Club and Reading University set a record of 4:43, knocking five seconds off the previous marker. Leander Club also beat the old record in the second semi-final, clocking 4:45. Nottingham and Reading won the final.
Likewise, Headington School took five seconds off the old record as they claimed their fourth Peabody Cup for junior eights in a row in a time of 4:41.
Rachel Aldridge of St Andrew BC equalled the record of 5:38 in the George Innes Cup for championship single sculls as she took victory in the final.
London Rowing Club set a record of 4:44 for the Copas Cup for club eights in their semi-final, knocking one second off the old standard. They won the final in 4:45.
London added victory in the Haslam Trophy for championship lightweight double sculls and the inaugural Chairman’s Trophy for club quadruple sculls. The new Nina Padwick Trophy for academic quads was won by Reading University.
Marlow Rowing Club went away with two wins, in the Bea Langridge Trophy for junior quadruple sculls and the Rayner Cup for junior double sculls. And Headington School also claimed the Groton School Challenge Cup for junior coxed fours to add to their Peabody win.
St Andrew’s University won both the Cathy Cruickshank Trophy for academic coxless fours and the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy for aspirational double sculls.
Oxford Brookes extended their stranglehold on the Colgan Foundation Cup for academic eights with their fifth win in a row, beating Edinburgh University in the final. Since 2018 the University of London is the only other club to have won this event.
Only two trophies went overseas this year: Elizabeth Martin of Riverside BC, USA, won the Godfrey Rowsports Trophy for championship lightweight single sculls; and Dutch crew AUSR Orca won the Avril Vellacott Cup for championship fours.
The day ended with the final of the Ron Needs Challenge Cup for championship eights, the traditional end to the regatta. It was another spectacular race, won by the Molesey Boat Club and University of London composite by 2.1 seconds – about three-quarters of a length – over Thames Challenge Cup. The two crews could meet again in the Bridge Challenge Plate at Henley Royal Regatta in a fortnight, where there will be a record number of women racing after the introduction of three new events.
