In the long history of the regatta there have been many memo rable races. The most famous of these is perhaps the "seven-oar" victory of Oxford university over the Cambridge Subscription Rooms club in 1843. F. N. Menzies, the Oxford stroke, was taken so ill just before the final that it was impossible for him to row. Their opponents were asked to allow a substitute to row in his place, but the stringent rule passed after the previous regatta made it impossible for this privilege to be granted. Oxford re-organized their crew, putting G. E. Hughes stroke, and, rowing without a bow oar, led away from the start and won by a length. The year 1853 saw a marvellous race between Oxford and Cambridge in the Grand Challenge Cup. Cambridge led nearly all the way and at the Point had 3 of a length in hand. From this point, however, Oxford had the bend in their favour and, creeping up gradually, won by i8in. In 1862 W. B. Woodgate sculled a dead heat with E. D. Brickwood, the wind being against the latter and the station against the former, but in the "row off" Brickwood won with con siderable ease. W. B. Woodgate's name is, however, more famous in connection with the regatta by his introduction of the art of coxswainless four-oared rowing. Rowing in the Brasenose college - four, in 1868, he made it known that he intended to race without a coxswain. The Stewards passed a rule that no boat should com pete without a coxswain and that no steering apparatus would be allowed. The crew, therefore, embarked a coxswain, but directly the word was given, he jumped overboard. Relieved of his weight the Brasenose crew went ahead fast and came in first, only to be disqualified. But the direct consequence was the establishment in 1869 of an extra race for coxswainless fours in addition to the Stewards Cup, and in 1873, although there had been no further contest without coxswains, the Stewards Cup was made a cox swainless race.
The splendid Leander crew of 1891 marked the definite re-estab lishment of the club at the head of the rowing world, but now a club with a university qualification, rather than a metropolitan one as in the old days. In the first round they rowed a dead-heat with Thames who led almost to the winning post, but next day in the re-row they won easily under faster conditions and in the final made the record which, though equalled, still stands. During the next is years they won the Cup 12 times, their failure on one occa sion, 1895, being due to the fact that in their heat against Cornell they never started, owing to a misunderstanding with the umpire, and Cornell rowed over. It was satisfactory to British prestige, however, that Cornell met their superior in Trinity Hall on the following day. In 1897, Leander lost to New College by 2f t. in equal record time. They were beaten by a very fine Third Trinity crew in 1902, but for all the other years from 1891 to 1905 they were invincible. In 1906, however, it was found impossible to put on a Leander crew, and many trace the acceleration of the decline of English rowing to this fact. In that year the Grand Challenge Cup for the first time left England, being taken away by the Sport Nautique de Gand to Belgium. The Belgians again took the Cup in 1907, defeating Leander by of a length after a very fine race in the second round. In 1908, owing to the Olympic games being held in England, the Royal regatta was closed to foreign crews, but in the Olympic regatta, which was held later on in the month on the Henley course, lengthened to a very fine Leander crew, composed mainly of veterans, after serious training, defeated the Belgians by two lengths.
In both the Grand and the Thames Cups were lost by Eng land, the former being won by a very fine Australian crew from Sydney, N.S.W., whilst a French club took the latter. Leander, however, after further training, gained their revenge over the Australians at the subsequent Olympic regatta, held at Stockholm, where they beat all nations. In 1913 Leander once more won the Grand, but in 1914, a few weeks before the World War com menced, England had the humiliation of seeing two crews from America fight out the final. In 1919 a special "Peace regatta" with Navy and Army qualifications was held, in which the Australians carried off the chief prize. The Henley regatta itself was held again in 1920, since when the gradual revival of rowing on metro politan waters has been the most marked feature of the regatta. Thames R.C. won the Grand Challenge Cup in 1923, and again in 1927, fighting out the final with the London R.C. crew, a thing which had not been seen for exactly 5o years, when metropolitan rowing was at its height. Up to and including 1937 there have been 94 meetings, and the Grand Challenge Cup has been won by university and college crews 38 times, Leander 23, metropolitan clubs 25 (London R.C. 15, Thames R.C. 8 and Kingston R.C. 2), Royal Chester once. On 7 occasions it has gone abroad. The Thames Challenge Cup at Henley has been won four times, 1929, 1933, 1936 and 1937, by schoolboy crews from the U.S.A.
The Henley Stewards are the senior body of the sport in Eng land but in 1882 the Amateur Rowing Association was formed to control the sport throughout the country. Its objects are defined as follows :—( ) To maintain the standard of amateur oarsman ship as recognized by the universities and principal boat clubs of the United Kingdom. (2) To promote the interests of boat racing generally. The Association consists of clubs which adopt the fol lowing definitions of an amateur, viz. :—No person shall be consid ered an amateur oarsman, sculler or coxswain :—(1) Who has ever rowed or steered in any race for a stake, money or entrance fee. (2) Who has ever knowingly rowed or steered with or against a professional for any prize. (3) Who has ever taught, pursued or assisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind for profit. (4) Who has ever been employed in or about boats, or in manual labour, for money or wages. (5) Who is or has been by trade or employment for wages a mechanic, artisan or labourer, or engaged in any menial duty. (6) Who is disqualified as an amateur in any other branch of sport.
The A.R.A. also laid down "The Laws of Boat Racing" and "Rules for Regattas," under which a large number of annual regat tas are held on the Thames and provincial rivers. There was also established, in 1890, the National Amateur Rowing Association with an amateur definition in many ways as strict as the foregoing but omitting clauses 5 and 6. The N.A.R.A. has three main branches—the Lea, the Thames and the Midland—to which a large number of clubs are affiliated. The A.R.A. does not concern itself with the amateur status of foreign crews, who may wish to compete in this country, but the Henley Stewards have strict rules on the subject.