Clubs are reminded that there has been a change to the age limit for The Fawley Challenge Cup – "No one shall compete who will have attained his eighteenth birthday before the first day of September preceding the event." The new event for Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls has the same age limit.

This year racing in The Fawley Challenge Cup will start on Wednesday 27th June and there will not be two rounds on the Saturday.

Racing in the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls will take place over three days – Friday 29th June to Sunday 1st July.

Three of Henley Royal Regatta’s historic umpires’ launches have had a complete facelift just in time to go on secondment to this weekend’s Boat Race.

Ariadne, Argonaut and Ulysses  set out from Henley this morning down the Thames. Built in the early 1990s, the launches have been maintained annually, but after 20 years sterling service and exposure to sunlight they required major refurbishment of the woodwork, varnish and chrome.

The launches were sent to Creative Marine in Norfolk for the work to be undertaken.

Creative Marine is run by Roy Lawson and Simon Reed who worked for the original manufacturer and rescued the hull mould when the manufacturer went out of business. They used this mould to construct the Regatta's fourth Umpire's Launch, Herakles, in 2008.

The refurbishment took five months to complete.  At 50 feet long and weighing four tonnes, each launch was transported to Norfolk on specially adapted articulated lorries.

Mike Sweeney, Chairman of the Regatta said

"The launches have been refurbished to the highest standard and we are absolutely delighted with the quality of the craftsmanship."

The 2012 Regatta will be held from 27th June – 1st July.

For further information contact either

Henley Royal Regatta Press Office on (07831) 755351

D. G. M. Grist,
The Secretary, Henley Royal Regatta,
Regatta Headquarters, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2LY
Telephone 01491-572153