HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA The reaches of the Thames at Henley are not only the most beautiful on the whole river but are the best adapted for boat racing. From the earliest days, many important matches have been rowed there. In 1839 a meeting of "the landed gentry of the neighbourhood and the principal townspeople of Henley-on Thames" was called in the town hall to establish an annual re gatta. Subscriptions were raised and a cup of the value of ioo guineas, to be called the Grand Challenge Cup, was purchased, to be raced for annually by amateur crews in eight-oared boats. An other cup, called the Town Challenge Cup, for four-oared crews, the members of which resided within five miles of the town, was also to be competed for. The Grand Challenge Cup was won for the first time by Trinity college, Cambridge, who defeated Wad ham college, Oxford, in their first heat, and the Oxford Etonian club (who had disposed of Brasenose college, Oxford) in the final. The Town Cup was won by a club called "The Wave" whilst there was also a pair-oared race for London watermen for a purse put up by "the Leander gentlemen," which was won by H. Campbell and J. Phelps, whose name is still famous on the tideway.
In 1841 "The Stewards Cup" was presented for four-oared boats under similar qualifications as the Grand Challenge Cup. The Ladies Challenge Plate was instituted in 1845 (though not so named until 1846), for eight-oared crews, but the qualification for entry was somewhat difficult of interpretation and led to sev eral controversies . In 1857 the qualification was amended. There are now eight races and besides the Grand, the Stewards and the Ladies' Plate there are :—The Thames Cup for eight-oars, origi nally instituted in 1868, for which the qualification now is the same as for the Grand Challenge Cup, but previous winners of the latter or the Stewards Cup races, or those entered for these races in the same regatta are barred ; the Visitors Challenge Cup for fours (given by the Stewards in 1847) with a similar quali fication to that of the Ladies' Plate; the Wyfold Challenge Cup (presented by Mr. Donkin of Wyfold Court also in 1847) for
fours, with a qualification as for the Thames Challenge Cup. The Silver Goblets and Nickalls Challenge Cup, instituted as the Silver Wherries in 1845, for pair-oars, and the Diamond Sculls founded in 1844, both of which are open to amateurs of the world, complete the programme.
The original regatta course started from "just above Temple Island and finished at the Bridge." In 1840 it was dropped down stream a little and started level with the Temple in the Bucks chan nel and finished some 50 or 6oyds. below the bridge, a distance of about im. 55oyds. The long bend some 2ooyds. from the finish in favour of the Berkshire station made this course very unfair, for a boat on the Bucks side had to have a very commanding lead at "the Point" if it was to make certain of winning. In 1884 a proposal to cut away "the Point" was dropped, but in 1886 the whole course was shifted down stream so that it started below the tail of the island and finished at the Point, or, as is more commonly said, at the top of Phyllis Court wall. The distance remained about im.
55oyds. It was also decided in that year that only two boats should contend in each heat. The course was piled and the regatta became a three-days' meeting.
Although there was agitation for a change in order to equalize the stations in the years immediately before the war, it was not until 1923 that the experiment of a straight course, starting on the Berkshire side of the island, was made. The narrowness of the river at this point necessitated the shortening of the course in this year to irn. 440yds. So great was the success of the experiment that the Stewards, with the assistance of the Thames Conservancy and the landowners on both banks, decided to cut away the tow path bank and part of the island to enable a straight course of the old length and of a width of 75ft. to be made. This course was used in the 1924 and ensuing regattas, and met with complete approval.