JULY 7
It’s hard to capture the full spirit of Henley Royal Regatta in just a few words, but I’ll give it a shot.
We made the trip across the Atlantic with two boats representing the College of the Holy Cross: our Varsity Eight, entered in the Temple Challenge Cup, and a Four that raced in the qualifying time trial. Our Four unfortunately didn’t make it into the main draw, but they handled the disappointment with real character and supported their teammates the rest of the way. That’s the culture we’re proud of.
Our Eight came in pre-qualified, and when the draw came out, it immediately turned heads: Holy Cross vs. Oxford Brookes “A,” the defending champions, overwhelming favorites, and one of the most dominant student crews in the world. No easing into this regatta. We were going to have to throw everything we had at the best right away.
And to be honest, we were excited.
The crew had been moving incredibly well in the days leading up to racing. Quiet confidence. Training runs that hinted at something special. And when the race began, they delivered. We led off the start, surprised the Brookes crew, and held overlap all the way to the finish line. It was the kind of race you dream about; pure grit, speed, and composure. It turns out we posted the second fastest time of the entire Temple event, only behind Brookes A.
In the umpire launch, sitting next to the Brookes coaches, you could see it in their faces—they were surprised. They didn’t expect that kind of fight. And more than that, they respected it. The umpire even turned to us after the finish and said it was the most exciting race she had followed all regatta. That’s something I won’t forget.
What followed was something you don’t really prepare for. As we walked around the regatta grounds in our Holy Cross blazers, people stopped us constantly—spectators, former athletes, fellow coaches all saying the same thing: “We were blown away by your speed,” “That was the best race we’ve seen so far,” “You gave Brookes a fight they could barely handle.” It was an outpouring of respect from the international rowing community that meant a lot to our program and our athletes.
But here’s what impressed me the most: our guys’ maturity. We drew the hardest race in the first round. Everyone knew it. But they didn’t complain, didn’t sulk. They understood why we came to Henley in the first place: to race the best. And that’s exactly what we did. When we crossed the line, there was no bitterness; just pride in our effort, our execution, and the way we represented Holy Cross on the world stage.
In the Temple Cup Grand Final, Brookes A vs. Harvard, Harvard won by about ¾ of a length.
Our YouTube race video already had the second highest view count of the regatta before the finals day, 6,500 and counting, which only shows how much of an impression this crew made.
Henley 2025 was a statement. Holy Cross didn’t just show up—we belonged.
…And I am hooked, already looking forward to next time.
Coach Jim Barr
College of the Holy Cross Men’s Rowing
