Henley Royal Regatta, River Thames

28 June-2 July

Attracting spectators and competitors from all over the world, the Henley Royal Regatta takes pride of place in the calendar of all rowing aficionados. Introduced by the mayor of Henley-on-Thames in 1839 as a spectacle for the town fair, the popularity of the races quickly grew. Nowadays, there are five days of competitions, each race contested on a knockout basis, the most prestigious of which is the men’s eights Grand Challenge Cup.