A Trent-based rower is hoping for glory when he competes in the Nottingham Head next month.
Hugh Madeley, 26, is currently in preparation for the annual event to be staged on February 22. A variety of different races will take place on the day with rowing clubs from across the country in attendance.
Madeley will be competing for Nottingham Rowing Club and has begun an intense training schedule in preparation.
He said: “We’re currently training every day of the week most times twice a day.
“It’s a mixture of weights, using the erg machine and water sessions.
“It’s quite pressing. It’s full gas really.”
Last year the Nottingham Head was cancelled due to high water levels, however in 2023 Nottingham Rowing Club came second in Division Three of the competition.
The race is 5,600 metres long and takes place on the River Trent.
This year Madeley hopes his team can go all the way and win their division.
“We have to go for the win, to build on previous successes this is a must,” he said.
“It seems to be going quite positive so far and we still have a month until the race so we’re all feeling happy.”
To make the team for the race, members take part in a trial, with the fastest rowers gaining a seat on the boat.
“We do the trials in two waves and after your wave, you wait and support the next group of rowers.
“We stay and support one another even though realistically if they beat me, they take my place in the boat.
“But that’s not something we care about, we want everyone to do as best as they can to ensure the boats the best it can be.”
Although the team will want success at the Nottingham Head, the race serves as a tester for the group to see where they’re at ahead of bigger competitions later in the year.
These include the Four’s Head in November and the Head of the River in March, both taking place in London.
Success in these races means the rowing team gains points and becomes one step closer to automatic qualification for the biggest event of the year, the ‘Henley Royal Regatta’
“The big race is Henley, if you get into Henley, you’ve done really well.
“Nottingham Head is a big one for us but we definitely use it to judge where we are in preparation eventually for Henley.”
Henley Royal Regatta is a six-day competition held in July on the River Thames.
Teams from across the world compete at that, with previous competitions hosting clubs from countries such as Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Australia.
The event attracts thousands of visitors each year and has over 300 races with Olympians occasionally taking part.
To help with qualification the group will also take part in qualifiers in Wallingford, Marlow and Metropolitan Regatta’s throughout the year.
Here they will hope for the best placement possible for points towards qualification
Madeley believes it’s likely the team will qualify for Henley this year based on how training has gone so far and previous successes the team have had getting into the tournament.
He said: “We’ve been training really well at the moment, so I’d like to hope we’ll be good to qualify.
“Our coach is Des Atkins who’s been around for over 10 years now and he’s basically had at least one crew representing Nottingham Rowing Club at Henley every year.
“It was my first time being a part of it last year and the whole experience is something I’d never be able to explain or feel without having gone so I really hope I get to go again.”
The Nottingham Head takes place on February 22, 2025 and entries are currently open.
