Rowing Terminology

Welcome to the world of rowing! There are many unique termsterms associatedassociated withwith thisthis wonderfulwonderful sport,sport, andand below is an overview of some key terms and information that should be helpful in better understanding the sport.

Overall Terms • Crew: Term used in American schools and colleges to designatete thethe sportsport ofof rowing.rowing. When using the termterm crew,crew, youyou shouldshould notnot useuse thethe termterm team,team, asas itit isis redundant.redundant. Traditionally,Traditionally, crewcrew meansmeans aa teamteam ofof rowers. • Rowing: A general term that means rowing a boat withith oneone oaroar perper personperson oror twotwo oarsoars perper person.person. Rowing is used with the term team – Rowing team. • Sculls/Sculling: One of two disciplines of rowing; the one where rowers use two oars or sculls. • Sweep: One of two disciplines of rowing; the one where rowers use only one oar. Pairs (for two people), fours (for four people) and the eight are sweep boats. Pairs or fours may or may not have a coxswain. Eights always have a coxswain.

Types of Boats Loyola rows fours and eights in sweep boats. Scull • Single: One rower with two oars • Double: Two rowers, each with two oars • Quad: Four rowers, each with two oars Sweep • Pair: Two rowers, each with one oar • Straight Four: Four rowers, each with one oar • Four: Four rowers, each with one oar and a coxswain • Eight: Eight rowers, each with one oar and a coxswain

The Seats There are 8 rowing positions in a racing shell, plus the coxswain as follows: • Seats 1 and 2: Referred to as Bow Pair. This pair focuses on “setting the boat”. Rowers in these positions typically have smooth and fluid technique. • Seats 3, 4, 5 and 6: Referred to as the power or engine seats. Rowers in these positions are typically large and strong. • Seats 7 and 8: Referred to as Stern Pair. They set the stroke rate forfor eacheach sideside ofof thethe boat.boat. SternStern seats require fluid and consistent rowers. The 8 seat is also known as the Stroke. • Coxswain: Person who steers the shell and is the on-the-water coach for the crew. The coxswain always faces the direction the shell is going where the rowers face the rear. Also called the “cox”. • Stroke: The rower who sits closest to the stern. Stroke sets thethe rhythmrhythm forfor thethe boat;boat; othersothers behindbehind must follow the cadence set.

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The Races • Regatta: An organized event where rowers gather to race. • Head Races: A timed event of up to 5K meters with each crew starting in single file, with rolling startstarts at 10-20 second intervals. The start and finish times are recorded, the elapsed time calculated, and the fastest time wins. Typically held in the Fall Season. • Sprint Races: 1.5-2K meter races; The race course is divided into 6-8 lanes and each lane is marked with buoys. All boats start the race in assigned lanes at thethe samesame timetime andand racerace toto thethe finishfinish line.line. Typically held in the Spring Season. • Heats: Qualifying races to sort crews out and determinetermine whowho qualifiesqualifies forfor thethe finals.finals. • Grand Final: Final race for top place finishers 1 through 6. • Petite Final: Second tier final for finishers 7 through 12. • Repechage: Gives the non-qualifying crews from the heats a second chance to qualifylify forfor thethe grandgrand and petite finals.

The Boat and Oars • Boat/Shell: Terms used interchangeably to describe the boat used for racing. • Blade: The part of the oar that enters the water and captures the water resistance. • Bow: The forward section of the boat and first part to cross the finish line. • Button/Collar: A wide collar on the oar that keeps it from slipping through the oarlock. • Cox Box: The electronic device combining a digital stroke rate monitor/elapseditor/elapsed timetime readoutreadout with a voice amplifier. The coxswain uses the cox box to manage thethe racerace andand makemake theirtheir commandscommands moremore audible to the crew. • Deck: The part of the shell at the bow and stern that is covered with fiberglass cloth or a thin plastic. The decks form compartments toto traptrap airair forfor floatationfloatation inin thethe eventevent ofof swampingswamping oror fflipping.lipping. • Foot Pad: Space between the front of the tracks that is the onlyly placeplace toto stepstep whenwhen enteringentering thethe boat.boat. • Gate: The bar across the oarlock that keeps the oar in place. • Gunwales: The top outer edges of the boat. A lifting point. • Hull: The actual boat. It is very thin and fragile and can scratch and be punctured easily. • Keel: Runs the length of the hull, down the center for structuraltural support.support. • Oar: Used to drive the boat forward; rowers do not use paddles. • Oarlock: U shaped plastic part in which the oar is placed. • Port: Left side of the boat, while facing forward, in the directiontion ofof thethe movement.movement. • Ribs: Runs perpendicular to the keel, against the hull for structural support. A lifting point. • Rigger: Triangular shaped metal or composite arm attached to the side of the boat and holds the oar. • Seat: On wheels that allow forward and back movement. Also a rower’s place and # in the boat. • Shaft: The long straight main section of the oar; usually composite. • Slide/Tracks: The set of runners for the wheels of each seat of the boat. • Sleeve: Plastic plate about 2/3 up the shaft that goes in the oarlock. • Sliding Seat: Rolling platform for sitting. • Starboard: Right side of the boat, while facing forward, in the directiontion ofof movement.movement. • Stern: The rear of the boat; the direction the rowers are facing. • Stretcher or Foot-stretcher: Where the rower’s feet go. The stretcher consists of two inclined footreststs thatthat holdhold thethe rower’srower’s shoes.shoes. TheThe rower’srower’s shoesshoes areare boltedbolted intointo thethe footrests.footrests.

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Rowing Terms • Catch: Moment of blade entry into water; immediate application of power. • Crab: Blade enters the water at an improper angle, getting caught under the surface, resulting in the potential for the oar handle driving into the rower’s stomach with potential of throwing them out of the boat or stopping dead in the water. • Drive: The part of the stroke where the blade is pulling through the water. • Ergometer: Often called an “erg”. A rowing machine that provides excellent land based simulation of motion and physical stresses of rowing. • Erg Test: A timed distance race simulation performed by an individual rower on an erg. Erg tests measure strength and conditioning progress, and aid coaches in selecting rowers for specific boats and seat positions. • Feathering: Rotating the oar in the oarlock with the inside hand so the blade is parallel to the water. • Finish: The final part of the stroke where the blade comes out of the water. • Leg Drive: Pushing the legs against the foot stretchers on the drive. • Missing Water: Not getting the blade into the water soon enough causing one to miss part of the beginning of the stroke. • Open Water: When a boat is more than 1 length ahead of the next boat. • Power 10: A call for rowers to do 10 of their best, most powerful strokes. It’s a strategy to pull ahead of the competitor. • Puddles: Made when the blade is released from the water. • Release: Pushing down the handle to raise the blade out of the water at the end of the stroke to begin the recovery. • Recovery: The part of the stroke where the rower comes slowly up the slide to return to the catch. • Run: The distance the boat moves after the release while the rower is on the recovery. • Rushing the Slide: Coming up the slide to the catch too fast causing one’s weight to be thrown toward the stern causing the boat to slow down. • Skying: Coming to the catch with the blade too high above the surface of the water. • Stroke Rate: Cadence of rowing; number count of cycles per minute. • Swing: The hard-to-define feeling when near-perfect synchronization of motion occurs in the shell, enhancing the performance and speed. • Washing Out: Raising the blade out of the water before the finish of the stroke.

LARA (Loyola Academy Rowing Association) Terms • Chuck Wagon: Trailer that is taken to regattas which houses all of the regatta equipment (grill, cookware, serving ware, tents, tarps, etc.). • Dibs: Request that is sent out 1-2 weeks prior to a regatta requesting food items and volunteerism at each of the regattas.

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