Women’s regatta to buy £9,000 launch

HENLEY Women’s Regatta has been given permission to spend £9,000 on a new launch instead of IT equipment.

In 2019, Henley Town Council awarded the regatta, a charity, £16,000 to spend on IT equipment but the money was not spent as the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the council’s finance committee approved a request for the money to be spent in other ways as the organisers now feel it would be better to rent the IT equipment each year.

Miriam Luke, who chairs the regatta, said she wanted the event to have its own launch and to spend £3,000 on new racking and £2,000 on some specific IT equipment. The remaining £2,000 would go back to the council. She said the launch would be used and maintained by Henley Rowing Club for the rest of the year as its own launch was on its last legs.

The Henley Open Events, which runs the Henley Sculls, would also use it.

Ian Reissmann, who chairs the committee, asked how many of the regatta competitors were from Henley.

Mrs Luke replied that it had competitors from Upper Thames and Henley Rowing Clubs but was an international regatta that brought people into the town.

Councillor Ken Arlett said the regatta should charge people to rent the launch to bring in income.