IT may be one of the rowing world’s most prestigious sporting events but Henley Royal Regatta can be a maze of misconceptions.

On the one hand it’s the top rowing event of the year, a competition which helped define the career of budding oarsmen such as Sir Steve Redgrave.

However, for many people it’s an elite social event — a date on the calendar which ranks comfortably alongside high-profile events such as Royal Ascot.

But try telling that to Nicholas Challinor-Halford, an integral part of the Henley Rowing Club senior eight who are ranked among the favourites for this year’s Thames Challenge Cup.

The 22-year-old has dedicated the past 12 months to the competition and nothing will stand in his way. “It is everything we have worked for,” he said. “We get up at 7am on most days — 5.30am if it is before work — and we are focused on winning and nothing else.

“It is the biggest event of the season. Every event we do, including regattas in Belgium and the UK, is geared towards the Henley Royal Regatta.

“In the past, Henley Rowing Club has sometimes entered competitions to make up the numbers.

“But in recent years the squads have developed. Now we go into these competitions believing we have the ability to win.”

Challinor-Halford comes from Cheshire, and moved to Henley last year to pursue his rowing dream.

He said: “I rowed at school but knew I wanted to take it further. “In terms of club rowing, Henley Rowing Club is one of the best places to learn. I was delighted to join.

“The Royal Regatta week will be a challenge for all of us. Potentially there could be a lot of waiting around before our races,

“But it is important to remain focused, which is something we all manage differently. I like to be distracted before a race.

“I don’t mean I go walking up and down the Thames path before we compete but if I were to just sit around watching TV I think I would go a bit crazy. It is good to think about other things.”

In the weeks before the Royal Regatta, training for those competing will plateau.

Challinor-Halford said: “We begin to slow down before the event. We do a lot of strength and endurance work, but the hard work has been done in the months before — now is the time to start honing all we have learnt.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous — it is, without doubt, the pinnacle of our sporting year.

“The Royal Regatta is a unique event. We know how many people will be watching and we will all deal with it in our own ways.

“But we feel confident and we are out there to enjoy the whole event. We are one of the favourites for the Thames Cup and our destiny is in our own hands.”

Up against the might of Leander Club, athletes from Henley Rowing Club have often played second fiddle but these days the club is one of the leading lights in the competition — helping to cement Henley’s place as the world’s greatest rowing location.

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Published on 06 July 2009 by the Henley Standard, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire.