FAIRFIELD, Conn. – With one week of racing in hand, the Fairfield University men's and women's rowing teams will send a crew to the Head of the Charles this weekend. The women will send a group to compete in the club 4 event while the men will enter the collegiate 8 event.

The Head of the Charles is a three-day event but the Stags will only compete two days with the women racing on Saturday afternoon and men starting on Sunday afternoon. The Head race will have more than 2,600 entries with better than 800 clubs, colleges, and universities taking to the Charles River.

"The Head of the Charles is an interesting challenge," Head Women's Coach Dr. David Patterson said. "On the one hand without question the Head of the Charles is the most prestigious race in the sense that it is the largest regatta in the world and crews from all around the world attend including Olympians, retired Olympians, future Olympians. Anyone who has rowed with intent knows the Head of the Charles. But because it is so large and seeks to get representation in all the events from all around the world only a select few get the exclusive privilege of competing."

With so many crews competing, the Stags have been going through the rigors of preparing for the Head of the Charles, knowing that they will need to have a cohesive and efficient approach to make an impact on the finish line.

"The Head of the Charles is a race that emphasizes endurance, steering precision, and rhythm over a longer distance," Head Men's Coach Stephen Baranoski said. "We train our athletes to handle sustained pressure and to navigate technical turns and bridges of the course efficiently. In weeks leading up the regatta, we spend more time on simulated race pieces that mimic the course length while coxswain drills focus on line selection and communication. It's as much a tactical challenge as it is physical."

This event is one to which all rowers point when the schedule comes out each year. But it's also one that incoming student-athletes look toward with the hope that they too will have the chance to compete in such a prestigious race.

"Because the Head of the Charles is so large and seeks to get representation in all events from all around the world, only a select few get the exclusive privilege of competing," Coach Patterson said. "Case in point, only five on the women's team and nine on the men's team are competing this year. In terms of recruiting, prospects want to know they will have the chance to compete for their future college at the Head of the Charles so it's important for us to go, be seen, and show a competitive performance."

Following this weekend's racing, the Fairfield University rowing teams will continue their Fall season with a trip to Philadelphia for the Head of the Schuylkill on Saturday, October 25.