Hitting the Pain Barrier

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Henley Regatta is one of the most famous rowing regattas in the world with a long history dating back to 1839. It attracts thousands of visitors every year during the 5 days it is run in late June and early July. The Regatta attracts top crews from around the world, so the standard is very high. The race covers 1 mile 550 yards, which is 112 metres longer than the standard international distance of 2,000 metres. There are 19 different eventsrowed on the two-lane course, with crews racing at least one heat per day until they are knocked out. This painting depicts a coxless 4 crew from Doncaster Rowing Club (my current club) racing in the Wyfold Challenge Cup. The crew members were Will Briggs, Gareth Salmon, Henry Ward and Christian Crawford. The title, “Hitting the Pain Barrier”, is a play on words; the Barrier is one of the important markers on the course and is about the time that things really start to hurt. I raced at Henley several times when I was younger and it was a fantastic experience.