Shiplake College Boat Club is a rowing club based on the River Thames at Shiplake College Boathouse, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. Many students go on to prestigious rowing programs across the world, including rowing for US universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Iowa and Washington.
History Shiplake College was founded in 1959 by Alexander and Eunice Everett. The boat club is owned by Shiplake College and rowing became a primary college sport due to its location on the banks of the River Thames. In 2020, the Davies Centre was completed, incorporating a new boat storage and indoor training facilities. It was officially opened for former headmaster Gregg Davies in 2021, delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent years the club has won both the Schools' Head of the River Race and the Non-Championship Eights at the National Schools' Regatta. The club reached its first Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup final at the Henley Royal Regatta for 30 years in 2024, narrowly losing to St Paul's School, before beating Radley College in the 2025 final, to win the cup for the first time in the club's history.
Shiplake Vikings The Shiplake Vikings Rowing Club share the rowing facilities of the college.
Honours National Schools' Regatta YearWinning crew 2015 Non-Championship Boys' Eights 2018 Desmond Hill Cup (Boys' J16 8+) 2021 Sherriff Cup (Girls' Championship 4x) 2021 Wimbledon Centenary Cup (Girls' 2nd 4x) 2021 Desmond Hill Cup (Boys' J16 8+) 2022 Jim Mason Plate (Girls' Championship 4+) 2025 Aylings Challenge Cup (Girls' Championship Eights) 2025 Queen Mother's Cup (Boys' Championship Eights)
Schools' Head of the River Race YearWinning crew 2017 Boys' Championship Eights 2019 Boys' Championship Eights (course record) 2022 Boys' Championship Eights 2022 Boys' Second Eights 2022 Girls' Championship Quads (course record) 2022 Girls' First Eights 2023 Boys' Championship Eights 2023 Boys' Second Eights
Henley Royal Regatta YearWinning crew 1984 Visitors' Challenge Cup 2021 Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup 2025 Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
Henley Women's Regatta +YearWinning crew 2019 Rosie Mayglothling Trophy 2021 Bea Langridge Trophy 2022 Bea Langridge Trophy
British Junior Championships YearWinning crew/s 1981 Men J16 2+, Men J16 8+ 1982 Men J18 4-, Men J16 2- 1985 Men J18 4- 1986 Men J18 2- 1988 Men J16 2- 1992 Men J18 4+ 1995 Men J16 8+ 2021 WJ18 1x, WJ18 2x, WJ18 4x
Course records currently held Event CategoryYear setTime Schools' Head of the River Race Boys' Championship Eights 2019 16:36 Schools' Head of the River Race Girls' Championship Quads 2022 19:15
Notable former members Henry Blois-Brooke - GB men's rowing team, under 23 world champion in the x8 men's Ben Hunt-Davis - gold medal winner at Sydney 2000 in the x8 men's and silver medal winner at the 1999 World Championships in x8 men's Will Satch - gold medal winner at Rio 2016 in the x8 men's and bronze medal winner in the coxless pair at London 2012
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