BY JOHN JACKLIN
THE chairman of Henley Royal Regatta Richard Phelps is making headway on his and the regatta team’s mission to develop the event in a “thoughtful and sustainable” way.
Richard, 60, an Olympic rower who has been a competitor, umpire and steward at the regatta, aims to build on the event’s heritage while keeping it “relevant and inspiring for future generations” as he enters his second year in the top role.
One change is in the women’s races. “Women will now be able to compete in 14 events,” he says. “Since 2017, we have added 10 women’s events, and the introduction of three further races this year puts us on track to achieve full gender parity by event in 2027, when the regatta will feature an equal number of open and women’s events for the first time in its history.
“The addition of these three events represents another important step towards delivering a racing programme that reflects the highest standards of competition while promoting inclusivity, equity and recognition across the sport.”
Richard notes progress towards gender parity last year, when 16 course records were broken on finals day. “The atmosphere during the women’s events was exceptional, with crowds every bit as passionate and vocal as for any other race. The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy semi-finals and final, particularly Headington School against Shiplake College, generated an incredible response from the enclosures. It was a reminder that women’s rowing at Henley attracts the same level of excitement and support as any other event in the programme.
“The one race that particularly stands out was the final of the Stonor Challenge Cup, where the Greek crew Evangelia Anastasiadou and Zoi Fitsio took victory by the narrowest of margins, seizing the lead on the finish line. It was one of the most dramatic and memorable races I have seen at the regatta.”
A DAY AT THE RACES
THE week of the regatta involves long hours for the chairman, with a typical day starting at 5.30am with a walk around the site to check everything is shipshape and Bristol fashion. From there, Richard Phelps visits the enclosures, meets members, speaks to competitors and welcomes incoming crews at the boat tents.
Lunchtimes are spent hosting guests including local MPs, international stakeholders, representatives from rowing clubs and other rowing dignitaries.
“These conversations are an important part of the regatta’s wider relationship with its community,” Richard says.
“In the afternoons, attention often turns to correspondence and decision-making, as by that point the inbox is usually full of queries that need to be addressed. I also spend a significant amount of time speaking to fellow stewards. With about 70 stewards involved in the governance of the regatta, those discussions are vital to understanding different perspectives and ensuring we make the right decisions.”
By the end of the day there is usually a light dinner with the stewards before Richard returns home around 10pm.
The duties are a family affair because Richard’s wife Annamarie, an Olympic rower, is also a steward at the regatta.
“Annamarie holds a number of senior roles across rowing and Olympic sport, including Vice President of World Rowing and Deputy Chair of the British Olympic Association,” Richard says. “During the regatta, she will be on duty in her various capacities while also hosting guests from the organisations she is involved with.”
For Richard, the demanding schedule leaves little time to watch the racing.
“I do get to see some of it in person when time allows, particularly when moving between engagements, but much of it is followed in passing rather than from a single vantage point,” he says.
“There are a lot of moving parts during any given day of the regatta. Depending on the schedule, I may also squeeze in some umpiring.”
Among changes off the water, luxury glamping in the Riverside Meadows is being introduced this year, alongside a revised members’ badge design, which will remain in use for the next decade. The previous design drew inspiration from artwork of the 1960s, while the new badge takes its cue from the style of the 1930s. Richard, who succeeded Sir Steve Redgrave last year, says: “It is a fitting tribute to the heritage and continuity of an event now in its 187th year.”
This year qualification races will be broadcast to one of the grandstands so spectators can follow crews from the start. Over the next five years, the regatta team aims to “further enhance our broadcast coverage, continue to invest in our enclosures, and expand what we offer to everybody who comes to Henley, whether as a competitor, member or visitor”.
Whatever changes are made, Richard, a steward since 1997 and management committee member since 2002, emphasises they must remain “true to the traditions and values that make Henley Royal Regatta such a special occasion”. He adds the priority is “not growth for its own sake”.
“The enduring appeal of the regatta lies in its unique blend of history, sporting excellence and atmosphere. There is nowhere in the world like it. Competitors race on one of the sport’s most iconic courses, while spectators get remarkably close to the action and share in the intensity and emotion.
“For athletes, winning at Henley remains one of rowing’s great achievements. I was struck last year when members of the Dutch Women’s Four, reigning Olympic champions, described Henley as the best regatta in the world.
“For spectators, Henley offers a timeless setting — a place of calm, elegance and charm, where tradition and sporting drama meet in a uniquely British way. It is a setting people return to year after year because it feels both familiar and unique.”
He adds: “Henley is also one of rowing’s great reunions. Every summer, former competitors and supporters travel from across the globe to reconnect with friends and teammates they may not have seen for decades.
“That sense of continuity is incredibly important. I want first-time visitors to walk into the stewards’ enclosure and be wowed by its elegance and history. Equally, I want returning visitors to feel they are coming back to a cherished place, and for those who have not visited for decades to feel Henley remains, in all the ways that matter, exactly as they remember it.”
The six days of racing are the pinnacle of the planning and behind-the-scenes work. Part of that involves promoting the sport. “There is always more to do to ensure rowing is as accessible as possible. Through the Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust, we have invested millions in grassroots initiatives and outreach programmes to widen participation and open up rowing to a broader and more diverse group of young people.
“One example is our support for Llandaff Rowing Club in Cardiff in developing its junior programme. After the 2023 rule change opening The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup to club crews, Llandaff became the first to contest the event. Achievements like this show the impact of investing in emerging talent beyond the Thames Valley.
“We are also broadening the pathways into Henley by attending events such as the Scottish Rowing Championships. This ensures qualifying is less of a geographic and demographic challenge, and more a reflection of sporting merit.
“Taken together, these measures reflect a clear commitment: to preserve the traditions and prestige of Henley Royal Regatta while continuing to open its doors ever wider to talent from all backgrounds.”
The hope now is for clement weather. “Last year we had amazing weather,” Richard says, “which always helps create an electric atmosphere along the river.”
ROYAL APPROVAL FOR NEW WOMEN’S RACES
TWO of three new women’s quadruple sculls events in the intermediate, club and student categories have received the royal seal of approval from Buckingham Palace.
The Princess of Wales Challenge Cup has been introduced as a women’s intermediate event, reflecting its Open equivalent, The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup. It aims to broaden opportunities for leading club and student female scullers below premier level, including senior national and Olympic standard athletes.
The Danesfield Challenge Cup will be the second women’s club event after The Wargrave Challenge Cup for Women’s Club eights, introduced in 2021. Danesfield House in Medmenham was a Second World War photographic intelligence hub where women played a leading role, and was also the home of the Garton family. John Garton served as chairman of the regatta in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Queen Victoria Challenge Cup is a new women’s student race alongside the Open equivalent, The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, giving universities the opportunity to compete in fours rather than eights.
“The Princess of Wales, Danesfield and Queen Victoria Challenge Cups will honour successful and powerful women throughout history and today,” said Jess Eddie, a regatta committee member and Olympic silver medallist in the women’s eight at Rio 2016.
“The introduction of three new women’s events represents a significant step forward in creating greater opportunities and pathways for female athletes and ensures our competitive programme is more inclusive and balanced than ever before.”
Richard Phelps, chairman of the regatta committee, said the approval “confirms the strong links between the British royal family and the regatta since we received royal patronage from Prince Albert in 1851”.
“How fitting that Prince Albert and Queen Victoria are back together on the hallowed waters of Henley Royal Regatta,” he added.
With 10 women’s events added since 2017, women can now compete in 14 regatta races, paving the way for an equal number of Open and Women’s events next year and full gender parity.
“Achieving parity is an exciting moment in a journey started over 30 years ago and accelerated under the leadership of Sir Steve Redgrave,” Richard said.
Henley Women’s Regatta chairwoman Naomi Ashcroft said the new events would broaden opportunities for female athletes and help drive the standard of women’s sculling even higher, in Britain’s most successful boat class.