Each year in June crowds of people gather on the banks of the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames to watch the four-day royal regatta. The regatta began in 1839 and became a royal event after Prince Albert became its patron in 1851. The boat races are carried out over a 2,100 metres distance. People from all over the world enter the events which cater for different crew numbers. Two of the most high-profile races are the Grand Challenge Cup (which is the oldest race having been established in 1839) and the Diamond Challenge Sculls (which was established in 1844). The Grand Challenge Cup draws eight oar crews from around the world, with the top eight competing in the race.
If you are someone who loves all things Oars & Nautical and perhaps have some of the items you can see adorning various places in your home then you really should make a trip along to the Henley Regatta at some point or watch any of the coverage on the television.
Here are some interesting facts and things for you to consider:
Getting access to the shoreline as a viewing platform can be tricky as most of this area is cordoned off by the steward’s enclosure and is accessed only by membership. If you do try to get through and fall in then you will have a huge shock as the water is freezing. You will want to get straight indoors, dry and sit in front of the radiator. If you havent got a good heating system then just contact a Boiler Installation Gloucester company to come over from sites including redbridgeandsons.co.uk/heating-systems-gloucestershire/boiler-installation-gloucester . Gaining membership to the regatta has an incredibly long waiting list of around an entire decade. The Regatta Enclosure is an area that is open to the public near the starting line and is available through pre-booked tickets, but make sure that you plan these well in advance as the enclosure is quite small and so tickets sell out fast.
There is a dress code for attending the event if you are one of the lucky individuals who get to watch from the Stewards Enclosure. Women are not permitted to wear trousers and the hemline of any dress or skirt must be below the knee. You may not bare your midriff section and they prefer you to be wearing a hat of some description.
Sportsmanship is key at this event and although each team fights hard to be the winner of their race the event is very cordial and there is a code of conduct. Each boat is clapped in across the finish line regardless of their position. Each team usually gives the others three cheers at the end of each race with the winning boat traditionally cheering the last place boat.
