Three days of racing at Henley Women's came down to a single final, and robilara had the one pick nobody else dared make.

robilara finishes champion on 1075 points, 25 clear of the chasing pair of lookatergofaster and emilio, who tie for second on 1050. Rowcoach and Nathan share fourth on 1035.

The race within the race

Going into finals day four players were locked together at the top, and the title looked set to turn on a handful of head-to-head finals. It turned on one.

The Chairman's Trophy was the difference. Marlow RC A went in as the 52% favourite and carried almost the entire top order. robilara alone broke ranks for London RC, a 22% call. London RC won the final, and that was the one final robilara took while every other contender at the top blanked. The margin of the championship was 25, the value of a single final.

It was the gamble the finals preview flagged, and it landed. robilara backed the underdog where it mattered, and that was enough. A second contrarian shout, Edinburgh in the Colgan Foundation Cup, did not come off, but by then it did not need to.

Second was its own scrap

lookatergofaster and emilio could not be separated, both on 1050. They traded blows across the finals. emilio took the Colgan where robilara missed. lookatergofaster found the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy with a 6% pick on Univ of St Andrews A. Each also gave one back: emilio missed the Lester, lookatergofaster missed both the Redgrave and the W Peer. Level to the last blade.

The chaser who nearly crashed the party

Rowcoach, fourth on 1035, took the boldest swings of finals day. While the leaders banked the favourites, Rowcoach went hunting: Glasgow Univ in the Bernard and Pauline Churcher Cup, a pick just 3% of the field had the nerve to make, plus the Groton and the Ron Needs, all finals where the front four scored nothing. A couple more of those and the trophy changes hands.

The one that got everyone

Spare a thought for the Frank V Harry Cup. Every player at the top backed Edinburgh Univ BC, a 44% favourite, and they never reached the final. A clean blank for the whole leaderboard, and proof that one upset can level a tier of the table at once. The Avril Vellacott, the Cathy Cruickshank and the Godfrey Rowsports caught the top five out too.

Next stop: Fantasy Henley

That is HWR 2026 in the books. Now the big one. Fantasy Henley 2026 is next on the river, the full Royal regatta: more crews, more rounds, more chances to back the contrarian and watch it land.

If you played HWR, you already know the feeling. If you topped your league, come and defend it. If Edinburgh caught you out, here is your shot at redemption.

Enter now: https://fantasyrowing.com/events/fantasy-henley-2026/

See you on the start line.