It has been a wild two years for Henley Royal Regatta. By a coincidence of timing, Sir Steve Redgrave's chairmanship collided with the viability of televising racing, and he enthusiastically gave permission. As a result, in 2015 the footage of racing from virtually every angle in all its drone-fuelled glory burst onto handheld screens, and in 2016 BT Sport upped the ante by airing every race live on television.
This year was reminiscent of 2006, when Regatta Radio brought live racing commentary to the world. Clubs in Australia started holding midnight Regatta Radio parties at the boathouse to support their crews. Now, you can watch the action on the Thames whenever you like. Tune in on smartphones, tablets, or covertly on work computers, and catch up with missed races on YouTube the next day. The atmosphere – blazers, competition, English countryside, Pimm’s-drinking – is there for all to see. It has been a seismic change in how the world perceives the 178-year-old event.
PHOTOGRAPHY NAOMI BAKER // BENEDICT TUFNELL