Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regattas 2025 provide some of the most exciting rowing races in the word, so it’s no surprise that both are very popular.
The logistics of taking a group of athletes to race in Henley needs careful planning – here are some starting points.
Easy things to start organising early include figuring out your budget for the trip, clarifying how the trip is funded, and – if you’re coming from outside the UK, ensuring your team has appropriate travel documents. For most US teams this is simply a passport that does not expire prior to your departure from the UK, but if someone needs to obtain a passport or a visa, start arranging this sooner rather than later.
Depending on which regatta you plan to enter, you need to do the anticipatory work for entries. British Rowing runs an online entries system called BROE. Overseas crews need to be registered to use BROE.
There is no cost, but it should be noted this is not an automated process, and requires an actual human at British Rowing to issue your club with a login to the system. Every year someone discovers this too late, and at their peril.
Your club BROE login stays the same from year to year, so there is no disadvantage to obtain the login as soon as your team is contemplating a Henley entry. Both Henley Women’s and Henley Masters use BROE, but Henley Royal has its own, separate entry system.
Figure out which events your team is eligible to enter. The entry rules are often tweaked from year to year. Be sure to check the entry rules after they’ve been updated – each website has the respective dates updates are anticipated. You don’t want to make plans only to discover too late that your crew would have to enter a higher evel event or drop an ineligible athlete.
Henley Women’s and Henley Royal both check overseas crews to ensure appropriate classification in events. For Henley Women’s, all competitors for any senior (adult) non-Championship event need to send a full CV for to the entries secretary prior to the entry being made, so that a determination of eligibility can be made. Find out more >>
For Henley Royal, every overseas crew is reviewed by two Stewards from that region, both to ensure eligibility and to determine who will need to go through the time-trial format qualifying races, which take place on the Friday before the regatta starts.
Once you have decided which crew/s you will bring, then you need to figure out where you’re going to stay. Henley is a town of approximately 11,000 people, but nearly 3,000 competitors race at Henley Women’s and, if you include those trying to qualify, nearly 5,000 race Henley Royal. Those are just athletes, not coaches, trainers, administrators or anyone else.
But in a town so small the rest of the year, there are nowhere near enough hotel rooms (and the rooms there are command a hefty premium during the regattas). The tradition is that athletes and coaches stay with families in the town, often walking distance from the course.
But how to find that housing? Henley Women’s and Henley Royal each have a dedicated housing officer who can match a crew to a house or houses in the town. Sometimes it is just a room for a coach, or some places can take an entire eight plus cox with everything in between. All prices are set by the hosts themselves, and the housing officer/crew liaison can help you work to stay within your budget. Find out more >>
It certainly helps to start early as many repeat crews also repeat their housing, so a large swath of houses go off the regatta housing market very early in the year.
Consider also the distance to the course, pet allergies, kitchen access and whether coaches will live with the crew or be in separate housing.
There’s no point turning up to a regatta without a decent boat to race in, so how to find one acceptable to your team in another country? Your starting point should be with your boat manufacturer in your home country.
While this may seem counterintuitive, most, if not all manufacturers take the requests and determine who has priority for the boats they have available. If you’re not lucky, or they quietly tell you you’re unlikely to be so, they also have the links for other crews who might have boats of that model they may be willing to lend. Some contact details are on the Crew Boat Hire page.
Note though that renting a boat doesn’t automatically come with oars, so check if you are also renting oars as crews have definitely had this panic on landing and picking up their boat and finding nothing to propel it. If oars are not included or you have specific needs, contact your preferred oar manufacturer, who will likely be in attendance at both Henley Women’s and Henley Royal both to assist with rentals and adjust any oars you may need.
Henley, as previously noted, is a small town and the influx of rowers – as well as all the spectators – require feeding. Some houses will allow kitchen use and access, and the race courses have a variety of food options.
But what about team dinners? A number of the Henley pubs, if arranged well in advance, will do a training table for teams of two courses for a set price, changing every day. The crew liaison can help put you in contact with the pubs that offer this service.
Many Henley cafés and restaurants offer discounts for Henley Women’s competitors with a competitor’s wristband.
International crews competing at Henley Women’s Regatta are invited to the International Crew Reception on Thursday evening, before the regatta begins. It’s free to attend, but you need to book tickets for this and the related pasta supper if you want to eat at the reception too.
Spectators at Henley Women’s are welcome to wander the banks and take advantage of being close to the action, but you can book a table at the Chairman’s Enclosure by the finish for an extra-special experience.
For Henley Royal, some the bank is also freely available for spectators but space is limited, and you can only see the finish line in one of the famous enclosures. Competitors receive passes allowing them into Regatta Enclosure, but you must book ahead if you’re not a competitor. Tickets for the Stewards’ enclosure can only be bought via a Member of the Enclosure – many clubs have alumni members who can help obtain Stewards badges.
These are just the basics, but if you have these sorted you’re well on your way to being confident in a successful trip. If you need help with trip planning for Henley Women’s Regatta, contact Anne Buckingham at crew@hwr.org.uk.
