Indiana University Athletics
Rowing 101 (9-24-02)
9/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Bloomington, IN - Rowing became the first ever collegiate sport in the United States, however, it is only in its third year of existence as a varsity sport at Indiana. Many spectators are not familiar with the terminology used. For all of you Indiana rowing fans out there, below are the fundamentals of the sport.
What kinds of boats are used?
The boats (or shells) are basically of two types and reflect the two forms of rowing---sweep rowing and sculling. In sweep rowing each rower handles a single oar (about 12.5 ft or 3.9 m long) in sculling a rower uses two oars, or sculls, (each about 9.5 ft or 3 m long). The word shell is often used in reference to the boats used because the hull is only about 1/8" to 1/4" thick to make it as light as possible. These shells are also rather long and racing shells are as narrow as possible while recreational ones can be rather wide. Most shells today are made of composite materials such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, or kevlar. A few manufacturers still build wooden boats.
Each rower has his back to the direction the shell is moving and power is generated using a blended sequence of the rower's legs, back and arms. The rower sits on a sliding seat with wheels on a track called the slide.
Each oar is held in a U-shaped swivel (oarlock) mounted on a metal pin at the end of a rigger. The rigger is an assembly of tubes that is tightly bolted to the body of the shell. The exceptions to this are some European recreational boats called "inriggers" which have the oarlock attach directly on the gunwale. The subtypes of rowing shells are classified according to the number of rowers in the shell.
Sweep Boats (each rower has one oar)
These shells can have a coxswain---a person who steers the shell (using a rudder) and urges the rowers on. I have included in parenthesis the symbol used for each subtype along with some dimensions and weights.
How many classes of boats are there?
There are nine classes of boat, of which five are for sweep-oared rowing in which the rower uses one oar with both hands, and three are for sculling in which two sculls are used, one in each hand.
Some classes carry a coxswain who either sits in the stern or lies in the bow to steer the boat. The boat classes are:
Approx. Length Minimum Weight
Sculling boats
1x = Single sculling skiff 8.2 m (27 ft) 14 kg (30.8 lbs)
2x = Double sculling boat 10.4 m (34 ft) 27 kg (59 lbs)
4x = Quadruple sculling boat 13.4 m (44 ft) 52 kg (114 lbs)
4x+ = Coxed Quadruple scull 13.7 m (45 ft) 53 kg (114 lbs)
Sweep oared boats
2- = Coxless pair oar boat 10.4 m (34 ft) 27 kg (59 lbs)
2+ = Coxed pair oar boat 10.4 m (34 ft) 32 kg (70 lbs)
4- = Coxless four oar boat 13.4 m (44 ft) 50 kg (110 lbs)
4+ = Coxed four oar boat 13.7 m (45 ft) 51 kg (112 lbs)
8+ = Eight oar boat 19.9 m (62 ft) 96 kg (211 lbs)
Eights are constructed in two sections which bolt together (to facilitate transportation). The maximum length of a section of an Eight is 11.9 meters.
What do the terms used in rowing mean?
Equipment terminology
Blades - The wide flat section of the oar at the head of the shaft, also known as the spoon. This term is often used when referring to the entire oar.
Hatchets (a.k.a. big blades or choppers or cleavers) - A relatively new design of oar blades (although the idea has been around for some time).
Scull - This term is used interchangeably when referring to one of the oars used in a sculling shell, the shell itself or to the act of rowing a sculling shell.
Foot Stretcher (or bootstretchers) - An adjustable bracket in a shell to which the rower's feet are secured in some sort of shoe or clog.
Seat - The sliding seat that the rower sits on. The term "seat" also refers to the rowers place in the boat; the numbering of the seats is from bow to stern.
The 1-seat is also commonly referred to as "bowseat" or just "bow" while the sternmost (rear) seat is referred to as "stroke seat" or just "stroke".
Rigger (or outrigger) - The device that connects the oarlock to the shell and is bolted to the body of the shell.
Oarlock (or rowlock) - A U-shaped swivel that holds the oar in place. It is mounted at the end of the rigger and rotates around a metal pin. A gate closes across the top to keep the oar in.
Button (or collar) - A plastic or metal fitting tightened on the oar to keep the oar from slipping through the oarlock.
Pitch - The angle between the blade and a line perpendicular to the water's surface.
Slide (or track) - The track on which the seat moves.
Gunwale (or gunnel, saxboard) - Top section on the sides of a shell which runs along the sides of the crew section where the rowers are located.
Keel - Technically, the structural member running the length of the boat at the bottom of the hull.
Rudder - Steering device at the stern. The rudder in turn is connected to some cables (tiller ropes) that the coxswain can use to steer the shell.
Skeg (or Fin) - A small fin located along the stern section of the hull. This helps to stabilize the shell in holding a true course when rowing. All racing shells have a skeg. The skeg should not be confused with the rudder.
Rigging - The adjustment and alteration of accessories (riggers, foot-stretchers, oar, etc.) in and on the shell.
Slings (or boat slings, or trestles) - Collapsible/portable frames with straps upon which a shell can be placed temporarily.
Rowing cycle terms
Starting with the rower at `rest' and legs fully extended with the oar blades immersed in the water almost perpendicular to the water's surface.
Release - A sharp downward (and away) motion of the hand, which serves to remove the oar blade from the water and start the rowing, cycle.
Feathering - The act of turning the oar blade from a position perpendicular to the surface of the water to a position parallel to the water. This is done in conjunction with the release.
Recovery - Part of the rowing cycle from the release up to and including where the oar blade enters the water.
Squaring - A gradual rolling of the oar blade from a position parallel to the water to a position (almost) perpendicular to the surface of the water. This is accomplished during the recovery portion of the rowing cycle and is done in preparation for the catch.
Catch - The point of the rowing cycle at which the blade enters the water at the end of the recovery and is accomplished by an upward motion of the arms and hands only. The blade of the oar must be fully squared at the catch.
Drive - That part of the rowing cycle when the rower applies power to the oar. This is a more (or less) blended sequence of applying power primarily with a leg drive, then the back and finally the arms.
Finish - The last part of the drive before the release where the power is mainly coming from the back and arms.
Layback - The amount of backward lean of the rower's body at the end of the finish.
Other terms of interest
Bow - The forward end of the shell. Also used as the name of the person sitting nearest to the bow.
Stern - The rear end of the shell.
Port - The left side of the boat when facing the bow.
Starboard - The right side of the shell when facing the bow.
Coxswain - The person who steers the shell and urges the rowers on during practices and in a race.
The Stroke - The rower sitting nearest the stern (and the coxswain, if there is one). The stroke is responsible for setting the stroke length and cadence.
Tandem rigging - Variations of rigging of sweep boats with adjacent riggers being on the same side of the boat. Also known as Frig rigging (UK).
Bucket rigging - The rigging of an eight or a four so that riggers 2 and 3 are on the same side.
German rigging - The rigging of an eight so that riggers 4 and 5 are on the same side while the others alternate.
Italian rigging - The rigging of an eight so that bow and stroke riggers are on the same side, with the others alternating in pairs.
Ratio - The ratio of the recovery time to the drive time. The recovery time should always be longer than the drive.
Rating - The number of strokes per minute. Also known as stroke rating.
Set (set of a boat) - Form or carriage of the body or of its parts.
Check - Any abrupt deceleration of the shell caused by some uncontrolled motion within the shell; an interruption in the forward motion of the shell.
Crab - A problem encountered by a rower when his or her oar gets `stuck' in the water, usually right after the catch or just before the release, and is caused by improper squaring or feathering.
Jumping the slide - Another problem encountered by a rower when the seat becomes derailed from the track during the rowing cycle.
Missing water - The rower starts the drive before the catch has been completed (or even started in some- cases). This is also referred to as rowing into the catch.
Skying - The fault of carrying the hands too low during the recovery especially when a rower dips his or her hands just prior to the catch. This usually results in the blade being too high off the water's surface.
Washing out - The fault of rowing the oar out of the water, i.e. the blade comes out of the water before the drive is finished.
Race Formats
The races have separate divisions---Men's (M), Women's (W), heavyweight (HWT) or open, lightweight (LWT) etc., then divided up into 8+'s, 4+'s, 1x's, 2x's and so on. Therefore, for a typical regatta you might see separate races scheduled for M8+, W8+, M4+, W4+ down (or up---depends on your cup of tea) to W1x and M1x. There may be separate heavyweight and lightweight divisions that would require a weigh-in for the lightweights some time before the start of the regatta. You may also see divisions according to experience (novice, varsity), age (junior and masters), and skill level (senior A, B, Elite, etc.)
Standard
The standard international racing distance is 2000 meters (preferably straight) and the course usually has six shells racing against each other in their separate designated lanes, which may or may not be marked by buoys. These races can take anywhere from 5 1/2 to 8 1/2 minutes depending on boat class, weather conditions, water current and the physical condition and experience of the rowers.
Other racing distances are 1000 meters for the older guys and gals (Masters) and 1500 meters for the junior age division (high school). A description of the starting procedures is in a separate following section. In addition, there is a match style (i.e. races with two boats head to head in a single elimination format for each division) racing at a some regattas. The Henley Royal Regatta in England comes to mind.
Starting Procedures
Crews are expected to be at their starting stations two minutes before the scheduled time of the race. Once the boats are locked on, the judge at start will supervise the alignment process. When all crews are level, the Starter will then poll the crews by calling their name. When all crews have been polled, the Starter raises a red flag, and says; "Attention!" After a clear pause the starter shall give the start by dropping the red flag quickly to one side and simultaneously saying: "GO".
Crews can be assessed a warning for a false start, for being late to the start, or for traffic rules violation. A crew that receives two warnings in the same race is excluded from the event.
Once the race has begun, the Umpire (Referee in US or Canada) follows in a launch. He/she will instruct a crew only to avoid a foul or safety hazard. If a crew is about to interfere with another crew, the umpire will raise a white flag, call the crew's name, and drop the flag in the direction where the crew should move. If a crew is about to hit a known obstruction (such as a bridge abutment) the umpire will raise a white flag, call the crew, and yell "Obstacle!" or simply "Stop!" If the umpire needs to stop the entire race, he will ring a bell or sound a horn, wave a red flag, and call out "Stop!" if necessary.
Head Races
These races, which are generally held in the fall (US) or early spring, (Europe) are about 2.5-3 miles long and the boats are started in their respective divisions separately at 10-second intervals. These things are usually conducted on a river with an assortment of bridges and turns that can make passing quite interesting.
