Rowing Basics
Contents
Rowing Terms (top)
Terms
- Shell: A boat. Usually called either by name (Natulia) or brand and size (Vespoli 4)
- Coxswain: Pronounced kok-suhn, but shortened to 'cox.' They are the person in the front of the boat telling you what to do. Though stereotyped as being short and loud, they are required to not only steer the boat, but also maintain the boat's power throughout a race as well as act as an in-boat coach.
- Stroke: The rower closest to the stern that every rower watches. They set the pace for the boat.
- Bow: The rower closest to the bow. A very creative name.
- Slide: The seat you sit on. It slides forwards and backwards.
- Rigger: The triangle jutting out the side of the boat that holds your oars. At the end of the rigger is an oarlock that holds your oar.
- Footstretcher: A pair of shoes in front of you seat. They can be moved forwards or backwards depending on how tall you are.
- Gunwale: The side of the boat. It's very thin, which is why we don't play around by the boats.
- Rib: The supports that run along the gunwale. This is where the riggers are attached, and it's also what we rest the boat on when it's upside down.
|
Commands
- "Way enough": Stop.
- "Hands on": Put your hands on the boat and get ready to lift it.
- "Up to waist and up": Lift the boat to your waist.
- "Up to shoulders and up": Lift the boat onto your shoulder.
- "Walk it [direction]": Walk with the boat.
- "Overheads and up": Lift the boat over your head.
- "Check down": Put your oar perpendicular to the water to stop quickly.
- "Let it run": Lift your oar out of the water, letting the boat glide.
- "Back it": Take a stroke backwards. Used when turning around or when fighting a current before a race.
|
Boats (top)
There are two types of boats. Most of what we row is sweep, which means each rower has 1 oar. There are also sculling boats, where each rower has 2 oars.
Boats vary in length from singles to 8-man boats. A single is approximately 30 feet long. An eight can be upwards of 60 feet long.
The Stroke (top)
 |
| Catch | Body angle | Finish | Recovery | Catch again |
Who's Where (top)
External Links (top)
