The Henley Royal Regatta The Henley Royal Regatta was established in Henley-on-Thames, England on March 26, 1839. It has been held annually ever since, with the ex- ception of gaps created from 1915-19 and 1940-45, due to the two World Wars. Originally staged by the Mayor and people of Henley as a public attraction with a fair and other amusements, the emphasis rapidly changed so that competitive amateur rowing became its main purpose. The 1839 Regatta took place on a single afternoon but proved so popular with oarsmen that the racing lasted for two days the following year. In 1886 the Regatta was extended to three days and to four in 1906. Since 1928 its increased popularity meant entries exceeded the permitted numbers in several events, and so Qualifying Races are now held in the week before the Regatta to reduce the number of entries to the permitted maximum. In 1986 the Regatta was extended to five days, with an increase in the maximum entry for certain events. As the Regatta was instituted long before national or international rowing federations were established, it occupies a unique position in the world of rowing. It has its own rules and is not subject to the jurisdiction either of the governing body of rowing in England (the Amateur Rowing As- sociation) or of the International Rowing Federation (F.I.S.A.), but is proud of the distinction of being officially recognized by both these bodies. The Grand Challenge Cup The Grand Challenge Cup has been competed for annually since 1839 with the exception of the years affected by the two World Wars. While the text of the qualification rules has varied over the years, the Cup has always been open, except in the Olympic Games year of 1908, to all established amateur clubs. Cornell Heavyweights at Henley 1881: By virtue of winning the Lake George Regatta, Cornell was sent to compete in its first-ever Henley Royal Regatta. The varsity-4 was not al- lowed to compete in the college race and was pitted against the best boat clubs in England. As a result, the Big Red lost all three of its races. 1895: Cornell’s varsity-8 competes at the Henley Royal Regatta. The Big Red wins by default over the Leader Boat Club crew, which failed to start the race after being given the “go” signal on the course. The next day, Cornell losses to Trinity Hall, a Cambridge University boat. 1957: The Big Red heavyweight varsity-8 boat returns to Henley after a 62-year hiatus and defeats Yale University by ½ length to win the Grand Challenge Cup. 1963: Cornell’s heavyweight varsity-8 places second behind the University of London in the final of the Grand Challenge Cup. 1977: The Big Red’s heavyweight varsity-8 crew finishes second to Leander/Thames Tradesmen Club crew in the finals of the Grand Challenge Cup. 1981: Cornell’s heavyweight varsity-8 crew competes at the Henley, but loses prior to reaching the finals. 1991: The Big Red loses to Leander-Mossley Club by ¾ length in the first round of the varsity-8 competition. 2014: The Big Red sent a heavyweight eight and a heavyweight 4- to compete in the 175th Henley Royal Regatta. The eight, which had several members come down with the flu prior to its first race, fell to Hitotsubashi University in the Temple Challenge Cup by a half-length. The 4- won its first race by defeating a mixed crew from Cambridge University and Columbia University by two-and-one-quarter lengths in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup before falling to Leander by one-and-three-quarter lengths. 2015: Cornell sent a heavyweight eight and a heavyweight 4- to compete in the 177th Henley Royal Regatta. The eight cruised to an easy win over Westminster School and then went on to defeat Imperial College of London B by 3/4-length to advance to the quarterfinals of the Temple Chal- lenge Cup, where the Big Red fell to the EARC Sprints Champions, Yale lightweight eight, by one and one-third length. The 4- fell to Zürich & Blue Star Club in the opening round of the Visitors’ Challenge Cup. 2017: The Cornell heavyweight developmental eight fell to the University of Gronningen (Netherlands) in the opening heat of the Temple Chal- lenge Cup at the 2017 Henley Royal Regatta. The Big Red crew, consisting of rising sophomores and juniors, battled through rough conditions on the course to stay with the older Gronningen boat, but faded late in the race to lose by 2 lengths. The following day, the heavyweight coxless four fell to Boston University in the first round of the Visitors Challenge Cup. 2018: The Big Red heavyweights fell to Syracuse in the opening heat of the Temple Challenge Cup at the 179th edition of the Henley Royal Regatta..