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Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the townof Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, itsoriginal name pre-dating Royal patronage. It should not be confused with the three otherregattas rowed over approximately the same course (Henley Women's Regatta, Henley VeteransRegatta and Henley Town and Visitors Regatta), each of which is an entirely separate event.

The regatta lasts for 5 days (Wednesday to Sunday) over the first weekend in July.Races are head-to-head knock out competitions, raced over a course of 1 mile, 550 yards (2,112 m).The regatta regularly attracts international crews to race. The most prestigious event at theregatta is the Grand Challenge Cup for Men's Eights, which has been awarded since the regattawas first staged.

As the regatta pre-dates any national or international rowing organisation, it has itsown rules and organisation, although it is recognised by both British Rowing (the governing bodyof rowing in England and Wales) and FISA (the International Federation of Rowing Associations).The regatta is organised by a self-electing body of Stewards, who are largely former rowersthemselves. Pierre de Coubertin modelled elements of the organisation of the InternationalOlympic Committee on the Henley Stewards.History

At a public meeting in Henley town hall on 26 March 1839, Captain Edmund Gardinerproposed "that from the lively interest which had been manifested at the various boat raceswhich have taken place on the Henley reach during the last few years, and the great influx ofvisitors on such occasions, this meeting is of the opinion that the establishing of an annual

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regatta, under judicious and respectable management, would not only be productive of the mostbeneficial results to the town of Henley, but from its peculiar attractions would also be a sourceof amusement and gratification to the neighbourhood, and the public in general.The regatta was first staged in 1839 and proved so successful that it was expanded the

next year from one day to two the next year. As the regatta's popularity has grown it hasfurther expanded: to three days in 1886, four days in 1906 and five days in 1986. The regatta hasbeen known as Henley Royal Regatta since 1851, when Prince Albert became the first royal patron.Since his death, every reigning monarch has agreed to be the patron.1948 Olympic RegattaThe canoeing and rowing events for the 1948 London Olympic Games were contested inearly August, a month after the Royal Regatta. The course was widened to accommodate threelanes and shortened to start at the top of Temple Island: the distance was approximately 1980metres 20 metres short of the standard international distance. Twenty seven nations competedand events for single sculls, double sculls, coxless pairs, coxed pairs, coxless fours, coxed fours andeights were offered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_of_Saxe-Coburg-Gothahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Albert_of_Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

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