Regatta Rules

1 Powers of the Committee

1.1 Races will be rowed under the rules of British Rowing, with the addition of specific local rules, and following British Rowing policies including:

1.1.1 British Rowing Code of Conduct

1.1.2 British Rowing Competition Eligibility Policy and Procedures.

1.2 All questions of eligibility, qualifications, interpretation of the rules or other matters not specifically provided for, shall be referred to the committee, whose decision shall be final. 

1.3 If a crew is found to be illegally entered, whether by accident or design, the club will be excluded from the regatta and may be excluded from future regattas. 

1.4 The committee reserves the right to alter the published programme. 

1.5 The committee reserves the right to reallocate a crew to the appropriate event if it considers an unsuitable category has been entered. 

1.6 In the event that no racing takes place on any day of the regatta, or racing time is lost during a day, the draw pattern may be changed or times from the time trials, heats or semi-finals may be used to determine the winner. Competitors will be made aware of the method to be used. 

1.7 All semi-finals and finals will be held on Sunday, 22 June 2025. 

1.8 Names of participants in crews in all events may be displayed on the website. 

1.9 The junior ages listed in the Qualification Rules are local rules and will be strictly abided by. 

2 The venue 

2.1 The time and date of availability of the venue will be notified on the web site at www.hwr.org.uk. There will be construction work on site until Thursday evening. Any person entering or interfering with the construction areas may be given an Official Warning or be excluded from the 2025 regatta and may be excluded from future regattas. 

2.2 Compliance with parking requirements is a condition of entry. Any club whose competitors/ coaches/ supporters fail to adhere to the parking requirements will be excluded from the 2025 regatta and may be excluded from future regattas. 

2.3 All events will be rowed over 1500m. 

3 Eligibility 

3.1 No rower or sculler shall be eligible to compete at the regatta for a club unless they are and have been a member of that club since 1 April of the year of the regatta. That club must have been established and continuously affiliated to an appropriate national federation for at least six months before the close of entries. 

3.2 It is expected that crews will have raced in the 2024/25 season. Any crews with zero points risk their entry being rejected. 

3.3 Overseas crews will be expected to provide a rowing resume/CV for each competitor if applying to enter any event other than Championship, Championship Lightweight or Junior. These shall be submitted by 15 May at the latest. The Committee will respond by 23 May or, for those competing in the NCAA Championships, three days after the NCAA Championships. Any CV received after 15 May will not be accepted and crews will be entered into the Championship events. It is the responsibility of an NCAA coach to gain approval for their entries with their compliance officer. 

3.4 All rowers/scullers shall be born before 1 September 2010 and coxswains before 1 September 2011. 

4 Entries 

4.1 Entries shall be made using the BROE2 system. Overseas crews and clubs without a login should contact the Entries Secretary: entries@hwr.org.uk 

4.2 Entries close at midnight on Tuesday, 3 June. 

4.3 The entry fee will be confirmed before entries open. 

4.4. Entries will not be included in the draw unless payment has been received by close of entry (see 4.2). There will be no exceptions. 

5 Substitutions and withdrawals 

5.1 The committee will examine the withdrawal/substitution of any crew/competitor(s) after the close of entries and reserves the right to exclude the club/competitors from all other events at the regatta.

5.2 Any competitor withdrawing from an event, after close of entries, will only be allowed to substitute into another event with the permission of the Race Committee Chair.

6 The draw

6.1 The draw will be held on Saturday, 7 June 2025.

6.2 The draw will be published by noon Tuesday, 10 June 2025.

6.3 No allowance in the timetable will be made for boat sharing.

6.4 All competitors (except juniors entered in Junior Events) should be prepared to race from 9am on Friday, 20 June 2025. This will apply to Juniors in Championship, Aspirational and Development events.

7 Event size limit

7.1 All events require, at the close of entries, a minimum of four entries. If an event is undersubscribed a crew will be offered another event if possible.

7.2 All time trials will result in elimination.

7.3 The maximum number of crews qualifying from the time trials will be 16 crews per event. All senior (adult) events with over eight entries will commence with a time trial on Friday, 20 June. All other senior events may be required to time trial on Saturday, 21 June at the start of the regatta but not before 8am.

7.4 Junior events with more than four entries, the first round will be raced as a time trial on Saturday, 21 June at the start of the regatta but not before 8am.

7.5 Crews will be selected on the basis of their performance in the time trial. Successful crews will be published in alphabetical order. The names of seeded crews will not be identified. The eliminated crews will be published in time order.

8 Registration

8.1 A representative of an openweight crew must report to the Entries Secretary in the registration tent on their first day of competition, not later than 45 minutes before their first race, whether that be a timetrial or side-by-side.

8.2 A representative of a lightweight crew must report to the Entries Secretary in the registration tent each day they are racing, before they weigh in.

9 Weighing in

9.1 Coxswains must comply with British Rowing Rule 7-2-7.

9.2 All coxswains must report to Control Commission to be weighed before their first race on each day.

9.3 The regatta reserves the right to re-weigh the coxswain and/or dead weight at any time during the regatta.

9.4 Lightweight competitors shall be weighed each day they are racing, not less than one hour and not more than two hours before the scheduled start time of the first race that day of the event in which they are entered. See British Rowing Rule 7-2-6 and Rule 2-2-1.

10 Objections

10.1 Any objection regarding the eligibility of any competitor must be made in writing to the Entries Secretary at the earliest opportunity.

11 Safety and circulation

11.1 Cycling in either the spectator or competitor zone is not allowed. Crews whose coaches cycle through either zone are likely to be awarded an official warning.

11.2 Crews may not boat more than 40 minutes before their race time.

11.3 Failure to observe the circulation pattern, or obey instructions from marshals, may result in disqualification. 

11.4 The first named crew in each race will have the Berkshire (regatta enclosure) station.

11.5 In the event of delays to racing, the Start Marshal, in conjunction with race control, will instruct crews and umpires of any action to be taken.

11.6 In the event of a dead heat the crews will re-row from the start.

11.7 All crews MUST boat from the regatta rafts during the regatta unless permission in writing has been obtained from the Entries Secretary. These crews must call in at the rafts on their way to the start for their boats to be inspected. These crews must obtain permission if they wish to return to their boathouse between races.

11.8 Crews must only paddle ‘light’ in the navigation channel on the Berkshire (regatta) side of the course.

11.9 Safety boats and first aid will only be in position from 45 minutes before side-by-side racing commences and 15 minutes before the advertised boating time for time trials and until 15 minutes after the last race.

12 Practice outings

12.1 Practice outings are not permitted during the hours of racing and all crews must be off the water 45 minutes before the start of side-by-side racing or 15 minutes before the advertised boating time for time trials. Crews may only boat 15 minutes after start time of the last race of the day.

12.2 Safety boats and first aid will only be in position from 45 minutes before side-by-side racing commences and 15 minutes before the advertised boating time for time trials and until 15 minutes after the last race.

13 Outside assistance

13.1 Crews and coaches are advised that British Rowing Rule 7-5-3 regarding assistance to steering from outside the boat and British Rowing Rule 7-5-9 regarding advice or assistance to a crew from outside the boat will be strictly applied.

14 Insurance

14.1 It is a condition of entry that clubs and competitors must take out their own third-party insurance cover.

14.2 Responsibility for loss or damage to their boats, equipment or other property on the regatta site or elsewhere will not be accepted by the regatta.

15 Spectators and competitors

15.1 Spectators and competitors are reminded that the facilities of Henley Royal Regatta are not available to them and movement on to Royal Regatta land or property without express permission is forbidden. 

15.2 Henley Royal boat tents and landing stages must not be used before or during Henley Women’s Regatta.

16 Boat registration

16.1 All boats including those from overseas must clearly display their six-digit identification code in accordance with the British Rowing Rules of Racing.