08/22/2026
Thank you to all who watched all over the globe as our varsity girls eight took the world stage at the Henley Royal Regatta for the first time in program history.
The messages of support represented 30 years of rowers, families, and friends and came not only from all over the USA, but from all over the world. The impact of this support was felt deeply by our athletes, our coaches, and our staff. THANK YOU!
In return, the athletes had a strong showing, proving that Chicago Rowing was exactly where they belonged. CRF raced in the Prince Phillip Challenge Trophy, an event that had a record 38 entries this year. After reviewing the boat’s results over the past year, CRF was selected by the Henley Royal Regatta stewards. Being selected means the stewards of the regatta have vetted a crew’s past results and believe they are one of the top crews at the regatta. As a result of being selected, the CRF women’s varsity 8 received a bye from racing on Tuesday, day one of the regatta.
On day two, CRF was matched against Kingston Grammar School in the round of 16, beating them and earning a spot in the quarterfinals. On day three of racing, CRF was matched against the Lady Eleanor Holles School, besting them and earning a spot in the top 4 and a chance to compete in the semifinals on Saturday. On day five, CRF matched up against Shiplake College, giving them a run for their money but ultimately coming up short and solidifying their finish in the top four women's junior crews.
We are so proud of how well our athletes performed and how they represented Chicago at our first showing at the HRR.
While these accomplishments are first and foremost the athletes, they are also the result of a wide reaching system of support CRF is lucky to have.
From our incredible coaching staff, deep alumni base, amazing families, and supporters near and far, we are so grateful for all you do to help us continue to establish CRF as a rowing powerhouse. Finally, to every donor who contributed to the 2026 Henley Fundraising campaign, we quite literally couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for being a part of CRF history and opening the door to future generations to dream bigger than eve
