The Henley on Thames Royal Regatta in which the Cornell crew is to row this year on July 9, 10 and 11 was founded in 1839, and the regatta of 1895 will be the fifty-seventh annual. The races are rowed on the Thames, up stream, from just above Regatta Island to a point near Henley Bridge. The start is about a mile above Hambledon Lock, and the finish nearly the same distance below Marsh Lock, the whole stretch of water, from lock to lock, being 3 3/16 miles. The course is one mile and five-sixteenths in length. The first mile is nearly straight, with a little point jutting out at Rememham, but near the mile-post the river bends sharply to the left, which gives some advantage to the boat starting on the Berkshire side. Being on a short stretch of water, between two locks, there can never be much current. English oarsmen, who have trained on this course, say that when there is no wind, or a cross wind, it takes a four-oared crew about twenty seconds longer to row up than down, which would make the course about ten seconds slower than dead water. During regattas navigation is suspended, and the continuous closing of the locks deadens the stream still more. The current is so slight that, with a moderate wind behind them, boats lying at ease slowly float up stream. The Schuylkill River, at Philadelphia, starting where the National races finish, and rowing up stream, is as nearly like the Henley water as any one course could be like another, and the upper Hudson, above the state dam, is very similar.

The course is so narrow that the number of boats starting in a heat is sometimes three but usually only two. This makes necessary a large number of heats, spreading the regatta over three days, and winners are compelled to row two, three and sometimes four heats. The heats follow each other so closely that there are two umpires, each with a steam launch for his own use, and they judge alternate heats - one returning while the other goes up with a race.

The Grand Challenge Cup, for which Cornell has entered, is open to the amateur eight-oared crews of the world, and ranks as the principal event of the regatta. In addition to Cornell and the fastest crews in England, it is expected that eights will enter this year from Holland, Belgium and France.