Sun, sweat, and gusting headwinds: The very best from finals day at Henley Women’s Regatta

Catch up on all the results from an incredible weekend of racing at HWR

Henley Women’s Regatta 2025 ended on Sunday 22 June with a Championship Eights final for the ages, bringing a weekend of superb racing to a close.

A composite eight from Durham University BC, University of London BC and Leander Club, coxed by  two-time Paralympic champion and HWR ambassador Erin Kennedy, beat Thames RC ‘A’ by a third of a length to claim the Ron Needs Challenge Cup in a time of 04:55.21 amid blustery headwinds.

Erin said: “I’ve never won here, so it is pretty exciting to come and to race a final like that; it was really, really exciting.”

The wind meant that no record times were set during the final day, but there was still plenty of close racing to enjoy.

Erin’s fellow HWR ambassador, Olympic and World champion Imogen Grant, also won this year, claiming the George Innes Cup for championship single sculls.

Imogen has not raced at HWR since 2018, and she said: “Being back out on the water’s really special. Racing in Henley is always amazing because you’re so close to the bank, and you can hear the shouts and cheers of everybody on the bank and there was so much support out there this weekend.”

She was presented with her trophy by her former lightweight double sculls partner Emily Craig, who told the winners of the importance of HWR to her own career.

First-time winners in 2025 included the University of St Andrews’ Hansine Marshall who won the Bernard & Pauline Churcher Cup for aspirational single sculls, dominating throughout. One of her best performances came in the heats coming from behind to beat Hartpury University and College in a sensational second-half charge.A win for a Northampton RC/Nottingham RC composite in the Rayner Cup for junior double sculls was a first victory for Northampton.

Meanwhile the University of Birmingham BC and Leicester RC both won their first trophies as non-composite crews, picking up the Haslam-Palfrey Trophy for Championship Lightweight Double Sculls and the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy for Aspirational Double Sculls respectively.

Thames RC and Oxford Brookes University BC both achieved a remarkable four wins in a row in the Aspirational Club and Academic Eights, but neither had an easy route to their trophies. Thames beat near neighbours London RC by just a quarter of a length, while Brookes defeated Newcastle University A by a length and a quarter.

Thames RC also took home the Lester Trophy for Club Coxless Fours after defeating Upper Thames RC by 1 length on their home water.

Reading University BC won both the Borne Trophy for Championship Quadruple Sculls and the W Peer Cup for Championship Double sculls.

In the junior categories, Wycliffe College BC won the Bea Langridge Trophy for Quadruple Sculls for a third year in a row, while Headington School BC made it back-to-back wins in the Peabody Cup for Eights. Edinburgh University BC won the Frank V Harry Cup for Development Coxed Fours for a third consecutive year.

After a record entry in the PR3 Single Sculls, the Grosvenor Cup went to Amalia Sangiovanni Vincentelli of Rob Roy BC who defeated defending champion Samantha Gough of St Andrew BC in the final. Sangiovanni Vincentelli had set a course record in the heats of 6:42.0, after Gough had taken over a second off her 2024 record of 6:52.0.

Two trophies went overseas this year. KSRV Njord won the Cathy Cruickshank Trophy for Academic Coxless fours, after an all-Dutch final against USR Triton, and Argentinian Olympian Sonia Baluzzo took the Godfrey Rowsports Trophy for Championship Lightweight Single Sculls.

HWR chairman Naomi Ashcroft said: “The quality of rowing over all three days has been exceptional and reflects the depth of talent now embedded in women’s rowing. The fiercely contested racing demonstrates how hard earned a HWR medal is. HWR continues to be a celebration of women’s rowing.

“I’d like to thank our partners, supporters, HWR ambassadors and our many volunteers for all their hard work and commitment in making HWR such a great event.”

If you enjoyed racing Henley Women’s Regatta, now is the perfect time to get your entry in for the British Rowing Club Championships. Entries close 8 July.