Henley Royal Regatta - the quintessential rowing event.  Top crews from all over the world gather each year to compete for cups, shields, plates and various other bits of exotic tableware. This year was going to be different however. The 2002 Regatta was also to host the world’s first ever free-style Extreme Ironing event for coracles.

Being mindful of the slight imbalance in the relative speeds of rowing eights and coracles (12 mph vs 2 mph) we had decided that it might safer to tackle the course after the last proper race had finished and to start from the upstream end (ie the finish) as the Thames was flowing at about 3mph.

So, with some trepidation and a load of fresh laundry, we embark at Henley Rowing Club (thanks due to Roy Spatcher) and set off downstream towards the Course.

As the cheers from the winning crew of the last race ring out across the water our own challenge begins. Nicky gets off to a tremendous start and builds up an early lead.  However, not having an ironing board was going to lose her points for creasing.

After, a particularly tricky cuff, I manage to regain some lost ground and at the progress board we are neck and neck (check out the 2^nd paddle ->). I am steaming along. Man and iron in perfect harmony. After a pause for another snort of spray starch I manage to take the lead and the race seems to be in the bag.

Then, disaster! That power point is just too close to the water. I could be looking at disqualification on technical grounds. The umpires decide an urgent safety inspection is required and a call is put out to the Environment Agency’s River Inspectors.

Engines screaming, the Inspector races up the course and pulls us over.  After a thorough survey of the electrical installation he passes it as river-legal under Section 3 of the Aquatic Extreme Ironing Installation bylaws (1999). Phew!

 So, safely over the finishing line, and with the added satisfaction of a crisply ironed shirt I gratefully accept my prize which turns out, somewhat unexpectedly, to be a Jack Russell terrier. I shall call him “Lenor”.

And so, pausing only to accept the adulation of the very good-natured but slightly mystified Henley crowd its time to say goodbye to Extreme Ironing from Henley, until next year.